Flight Planning System Alternate Destination Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current aircraft flight planning systems do not optimize the selection of alternate landing facilities in terms of time, fuel, or other considerations, often relying solely on distance from decision points.
Innovation Solution
A processor-performed method that defines an elliptical area forward and along an aircraft's route from a decision point, prioritizing landing facilities within this area based on distance and other criteria to select optimal alternate destinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If alternative landing facilities are selected based solely on distance from decision point, then selection simplicity is improved, but flight time and fuel consumption are not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the selection parameter from simple distance to a composite parameter that incorporates distance, wind conditions, and aircraft performance data. This allows optimization of flight time and fuel consumption while maintaining automated selection through processor-based calculation of the optimal alternate landing facility.
2Loss of energy
If multiple criteria are used to prioritize alternate destinations, then optimization of fuel and time is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the aircraft's own performance data, stored in memory, to automatically evaluate and prioritize alternate destinations. The processor retrieves relevant aircraft-specific parameters and performs the optimization calculation autonomously, reducing the need for external complex systems while achieving fuel and time optimization.
3Use of energy by moving object
If wind conditions and aircraft performance data are incorporated into alternate selection, then fuel efficiency is improved, but computational requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Aircraft performance data is pre-stored in memory before flight. During flight, the processor retrieves this pre-stored data and combines it with current wind conditions to calculate the optimal alternate destination. This preliminary preparation of data reduces real-time computational requirements while maintaining fuel efficiency optimization.
Data Source
Figure 1~4
Figure 2
AI summary
A processor-performed method of aircraft flight planning. A decision point is identified along a route of the aircraft. The decision point and an anticipated range of the aircraft at the decision point are used to define an elliptical area substantially forward of the decision point and substantially along the route. Based on location of one or more landing facilities relative to the defined elliptical area, one or more of the facilities are selected as one or more alternative destinations.