Fleet Mission Control Using PTMS State Data for Aircraft Commands
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Managing the tradeoffs between different objectives of a power-thermal management system (PTMS) in aerial vehicles becomes increasingly difficult with the growing demand for on-board electric power, especially in networks of aircraft where coordinated mission objectives need to be achieved efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A fleet mission advisor system that utilizes processors to receive mission objectives and system state information, including PTMS data, to generate and transmit aircraft commands that optimize mission objectives across the network of aerial vehicles, considering the power-thermal management systems of individual aircraft.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If increased on-board electric power is demanded for various aircraft systems, then aircraft capability and range are improved, but power-thermal management system complexity and difficulty of managing tradeoffs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power-thermal management problem by separating power generation control from thermal management control. The system divides the aircraft systems into distinct functional groups (power generation systems, thermal load systems, propulsion systems) and manages them through separate control algorithms that communicate through a standardized interface, reducing overall system complexity while enabling increased electric power demand
2Adaptability or versatility
If more electric power is used for countermeasures, jamming, directed energy weapons, and other systems, then aircraft capability is improved, but thermal management difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic thermal management by continuously monitoring thermal loads from various aircraft systems and adjusting cooling resource allocation in real-time. The control system dynamically reconfigures thermal management resources based on current mission requirements, allowing the aircraft to handle variable thermal loads from countermeasures, jamming, and directed energy weapons without increasing baseline system complexity
3Duration of action of moving object
If hybrid-electric propulsion is implemented, then range and capability are improved, but power-thermal management tradeoff management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal power-thermal management control architecture that can handle multiple power source configurations (traditional engines, hybrid-electric systems, fully electric propulsion). The control system provides multi-functional capabilities by managing both power generation and thermal loads through a unified interface, enabling the aircraft to operate across different propulsion modes without requiring mode-specific thermal management systems
Data Source
AI summary
A fleet mission control system for a network of aerial vehicles including power thermal management systems is provided. According to examples of the disclosed technology a control system receives one or more mission objectives for a network of aircraft including two or more aerial vehicles. Each aerial vehicle includes a power-thermal management system. The control system receives system state information for the network of aircraft. The system state information includes PTMS state data. The control system determines a set of aircraft commands for the network of aircraft based on the one or more mission objectives and the PTMS state data, and generates an output signal based on the set of aircraft commands.