Flight Guidance Acceleration Cues for Consistent Thrust Direction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flight guidance systems lack intuitive and consistent thrust guidance acceleration commands, particularly in automatic flight control systems, leading to varying and non-intuitive representations of acceleration cues across different thrust guidance modes.
Innovation Solution
A processor-implemented method and system that utilizes a thrust director algorithm to generate uniform acceleration commands based on aircraft potential flight path angles, thrust, throttle level angles, and weight, providing a novel 'thrust director cue' on a primary flight display, which is independent of inconsistent drag values and limits acceleration to the aircraft's available energy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If thrust guidance is provided in terms of engine power or throttle position error, then thrust control is achieved, but the guidance is not intuitive and does not provide indication of acceleration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the thrust guidance parameter from engine power or throttle position (conventional parameters) to acceleration (new parameter). This allows the guidance system to display acceleration commands directly to the pilot, making the information more intuitive and informative about the actual flight dynamics effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary conversion process that translates engine power commands into equivalent acceleration values. This intermediary layer allows the system to maintain engine control functionality while presenting acceleration information to the pilot, bridging the gap between control input and flight effect.
2Loss of information
If acceleration translation is provided for thrust guidance, then acceleration indication is achieved, but the acceleration translations vary across the flight envelope
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the approach by using flight path angle as the basis for acceleration calculation rather than directly translating engine power. This parameter change ensures that acceleration commands remain consistent and comparable across different flight conditions, as flight path angle is a fundamental flight parameter that scales uniformly.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates equipotentiality in the guidance system by ensuring that acceleration commands are derived from flight path angle changes, which provides a uniform reference frame across the entire flight envelope. This makes acceleration cues consistent regardless of the specific flight condition or thrust guidance mode being used.
3Adaptability or versatility
If different thrust acceleration cues are provided for different thrust guidance modes, then mode-specific optimization is achieved, but the cues are very different and not consistent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal acceleration cue system based on flight path angle that functions consistently across both speed control and thrust control modes. By using flight path angle as the common basis for acceleration calculation, the system achieves multi-functionality while maintaining uniformity in the displayed acceleration information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the fundamental parameter used for thrust guidance from mode-specific parameters (engine power for one mode, throttle position for another) to a unified parameter (flight path angle) that works consistently across all thrust guidance modes, eliminating the need for different acceleration cues.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologically improved flight guidance systems and methods that generate thrust guidance related to a potential flight path angle are provided. The thrust guidance is provided as acceleration commands that may be communicated to the pilot in an intuitive manner, such as with an acceleration cue on a primary flight display (PFD) system. The provided acceleration cues are uniform across the flight envelope and present consistently for two basic thrust guidance modes.