Flight Path Modification for No-Turn Terrain Avoidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircrafts face challenges in avoiding no turn situations due to terrain obstacles and performance degradation at higher density altitudes, leading to potential collisions when they cannot implement a viable turn to evade obstacles.
Innovation Solution
A system equipped with geospatial sensors, an onboard database, and a controller that generates a modified flight path by analyzing current aircraft location and terrain data to display notifications and viable turn options on a display device, enabling pilots to avoid no turn situations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the aircraft maintains a current flight path through mountainous terrain, then the flight path follows the contours of peaks, but a momentary loss of situational awareness may result in navigation error leading to adverse aircraft event
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the aircraft's position relative to terrain obstacles and provides real-time feedback by generating no-turn situation alerts when the aircraft is approaching a dangerous configuration, enabling the pilot to correct the flight path before navigation error occurs
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively identifies potential no-turn situations before the aircraft enters them by calculating turn radius requirements based on terrain obstacle positions and aircraft performance parameters, allowing preventive action rather than reactive correction
2Temperature
If the aircraft operates at higher density altitudes, then the aircraft can reach higher terrain, but aircraft performance decreases resulting in longer take off distances, degraded climb rates, and increased turn radius
Solution Approach 1:
The system adjusts the turn radius calculation based on density altitude conditions by modifying aircraft performance parameters (climb rate, turn radius) according to the calculated density altitude, enabling accurate no-turn situation prediction across varying altitude and temperature conditions
3Adaptability or versatility
If the aircraft encounters terrain obstacles close to the airport, then the aircraft must navigate through constrained spaces, but the aircraft may be unable to implement a viable turn within a radius that enables avoidance of collision
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies preliminary anti-action by identifying no-turn situations before they occur and alerting the pilot to take corrective action, preventing the harmful outcome of collision rather than merely responding after the danger is realized
4Reliability
If the system generates modified flight paths with viable turns, then the aircraft can avoid no turn situations, but the system complexity increases with additional sensors, database, and controller components
Solution Approach 1:
The controller performs multiple functions including calculating aircraft turn radius, determining no-turn situations, generating modified flight paths, and providing alerts, consolidating these capabilities into a single multi-functional component rather than requiring separate systems for each function
Data Source
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AI summary
Systems and methods are provided for generating a modified flight to avoid a no turn situation. A current flight path of an aircraft is received from a source of current flight path of the aircraft. Current aircraft location data is received from at least one geospatial sensor of the aircraft. Terrain data is retrieved from an onboard database based on the current aircraft location data. The terrain data includes a first terrain obstacle and a second terrain obstacle. A determination is made regarding whether the current flight path of the aircraft leads to a no turn situation with respect to the first terrain obstacle and the second terrain obstacle. A first notification associated with implementation of a modified flight path in accordance with a viable turn with respect to the first terrain obstacle and the second terrain obstacle is displayed on an onboard display device based on the determination.