Biomathematical Fatigue Model for Aircraft Crew Rest Scenarios
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing approaches for determining in-flight rest scenarios for aircraft crews are unsatisfactory as they are approximate and do not systematically ensure the optimization of pilot fatigue levels, posing a risk to aircraft safety.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a display device, a module for acquiring flight context and constraints, a biomathematical fatigue model for determining optimal rest scenarios, and a display management module to present the determined rest scenarios on the display device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If pilots determine rest periods by mutual agreement, then operational flexibility is maintained, but fatigue optimization is not systematically ensured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a rest scenario determination system as an intermediary between pilots and fatigue optimization goals. This system processes flight context inputs, simulates multiple rest scenario options using a biomathematical fatigue model, and presents optimized recommendations to pilots, thereby systematically ensuring fatigue optimization while maintaining operational flexibility through pilot choice among recommended scenarios
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of rest period scheduling from subjective pilot agreement to objective biomathematical optimization. By using a fatigue model that processes flight context parameters (flight duration, crew composition, rest period timing), the system generates optimized rest scenarios that systematically minimize fatigue while allowing pilots to select from multiple recommended options
2Reliability
If rest periods are optimized using biomathematical fatigue model, then fatigue levels are minimized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The rest scenario determination system is integrated into the aircraft's existing flight management and display infrastructure. It utilizes available flight context data from existing systems, processes multiple rest scenario simulations, and presents results through the existing display device, thereby achieving sophisticated fatigue optimization without proportionally increasing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary simulation and optimization of multiple rest scenarios before presenting them to pilots. By pre-calculating fatigue levels for various rest period configurations using the biomathematical model, the system prepares optimized recommendations in advance, reducing the computational burden during actual flight operations and simplifying the user interface
Data Source
AI summary
A system is (10) for determining a flight rest scenario for an aircraft crew (12) comprising at least two pilots able to fly the aircraft (12) during a flight. The system (10) comprises a display device (16) comprising a screen (20), a module (32) for acquiring flight context and constraints inputs, and a module (34) for determining at least one crew rest scenario for the flight from the acquired inputs. The determination module (34) is able to determine the rest scenario from at least one simulation by a biomathematical fatigue model having at least one of the acquired inputs as variables. The system also includes a display management module (36) configured to display the determined rest scenario on the screen (20) of the display device (16).