Flight Display Approach Stabilization Advisory

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current flight display systems lack the capability to guide flight crews through approach procedures effectively, leading to un-stabilized approaches, increased fuel consumption, and noise pollution, with no existing technology providing real-time assistance for safe and efficient landing.

Innovation Solution

A display system and method that utilize an approach algorithm to calculate optimal deceleration profiles and configuration changes, providing timely advisories to flight crews on flap extension, landing gear deployment, and thrust management to ensure a stabilized approach while minimizing fuel consumption and noise.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If flight crews rely on memorized manuals and acquired experience to perform approaches, then they can execute procedures without additional equipment, but the likelihood of un-stabilized approaches increases and safety decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapproach stabilizationVSAvoiddisplay system
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The display system automatically monitors aircraft parameters (speed, altitude, configuration) and computes stabilization probability without requiring pilot intervention. The system serves itself by using onboard sensors and flight data to provide real-time guidance, reducing the burden on flight crews while improving approach stabilization reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system provides continuous feedback to the flight crew by displaying the calculated probability of achieving stabilized approach and indicating required configuration changes. This real-time feedback loop allows pilots to adjust their actions based on objective data, significantly improving approach stabilization compared to relying solely on memory and experience

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If flight crews extend landing gear or flaps early to ensure stabilized approach, then safety improves, but fuel consumption increases due to reduced idle thrust period

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveapproach stabilizationVSAvoidfuel consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system calculates the optimal timing for configuration changes (flaps, landing gear) in advance, providing preliminary guidance that allows flight crews to extend these components at the precise moment needed. This eliminates both early extension (which wastes fuel) and late extension (which compromises safety), optimizing the balance between stabilization and fuel consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the recommended configuration timing based on changing flight parameters such as speed, altitude, and wind conditions. By continuously optimizing the timing parameters for flap and gear extension, the system ensures stabilized approach is achieved with minimal deviation from idle thrust, thereby minimizing fuel consumption

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Use of energy by moving object

If flight crews maintain continuous deceleration with minimum thrust to reduce fuel consumption, then fuel efficiency improves, but the ability to respond to go-around requirements decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel consumptionVSAvoidacceleration capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts thrust recommendations based on real-time assessment of approach stabilization probability and distance to final gate. It transitions the thrust regime from minimum (fuel-efficient) when stabilization is on track, to higher thrust (go-around ready) when stabilization is at risk, optimizing both fuel consumption and acceleration capability throughout the approach

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Use of energy by moving object

If flight crews fly with continuous speed reduction and minimum thrust, then fuel consumption decreases, but noise abatement is compromised due to premature configuration changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefuel consumptionVSAvoidnoise
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system calculates and announces the optimal timing for configuration changes in advance, allowing flight crews to make these changes at the precise moment when the aircraft passes over the noise-sensitive area. This preliminary action ensures that configuration changes (which generate noise) occur at the optimal point, minimizing noise impact while maintaining fuel efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP2654029B1Method for generating a flight display
Publication Date: 2021.04.07 HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC
  • EP2654029B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2654029B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2654029B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A flight display system and method for generating a flight display. A method for generating a flight display includes determining a position of an aircraft with reference to an airport, calculating a distance required for the aircraft to decelerate and descend for entering a final approach gate of the airport in a stabilized configuration, comparing the position of the aircraft with the distance required for the aircraft to decelerate and descend, and generating a flight display comprising an advisory based on a result of the comparing. A flight display system includes a database, an electronic display device, and a computer processor. The database and the electronic display device are in operable communication with the computer processor for displaying the flight display on the electronic display device.