Flight Recorder Underwater Acoustic Data Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flight recorders are cumbersome and energy-intensive, requiring significant resources to recover and transmit data after an aircraft crash, especially in deep water environments, as they transmit all flight data rather than selectively sending relevant information.
Innovation Solution
A flight recorder system that includes a memory for data storage, a control device for data filtering and transmission, a transceiver for converting data into acoustic signals, and an acoustic transducer for underwater communication, allowing targeted data transmission and reduced energy consumption by only sending specific, relevant data segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If all flight data is transmitted continuously, then complete flight data is available, but energy consumption increases and transmission time extends
Solution Approach 1:
The flight data is divided into multiple segments or blocks stored in the memory. The control device can selectively retrieve and transmit specific segments based on external requests or predefined criteria, rather than transmitting all data continuously. This segmentation allows for efficient energy management while ensuring complete data availability when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The flight recorder employs periodic transmission cycles where the control device retrieves and transmits data segments at predetermined intervals or upon receiving external requests. This periodic action pattern reduces continuous energy consumption while maintaining data availability, as the system transitions between active transmission and low-power states.
2Loss of information
If all flight data is transmitted, then complete information is provided, but data transmission time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Flight data is organized into segmented blocks in memory, allowing the control device to retrieve and transmit only the necessary segments based on external requests or crash relevance. This segmentation dramatically reduces transmission time for critical information while preserving the ability to provide complete data if needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transmits only the necessary partial set of flight data required for investigation or analysis, rather than transmitting the complete dataset. This partial action approach significantly reduces transmission time while providing sufficient information for most recovery and investigation scenarios.
3Loss of information
If the flight recorder transmits all data continuously, then data availability is maximized, but the system complexity and implementation outlay increase
Solution Approach 1:
The control device serves multiple functions: it manages memory operations, processes external requests, determines data retrieval criteria, controls the transceiver, and manages power states. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining data accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The flight recorder system is designed to autonomously manage its own data transmission operations. The control device automatically retrieves and transmits data segments based on predefined criteria or external requests without requiring complex external control systems, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach reduces data transmission time and energy requirements, enabling more efficient and prolonged communication from greater depths, thus simplifying the recovery of flight data while minimizing the size and weight of the recorder.
Implementation Method 1
a transceiver device, which is coupled to the control device and which is configured to accept stored flight data signals from the control device and to convert them into acoustic signals
Implementation Method 2
an acoustic transducer, which is coupled to the transceiver device and which is configured to emit the acoustic signals of the transceiver device into a body of water
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to a flight recorder, having a memory, a control device, which is coupled to the memory and which is configured to record flight data during the flight of an aircraft and to store said flight data in the memory, a transceiver device, which is coupled to the control device and which is configured to accept stored flight data signals from the control device and to convert them into acoustic signals, and an acoustic transducer, which is coupled to the transceiver device and which is configured to emit the acoustic signals of the transceiver device into a body of water, the control device being configured to receive control signals via the transceiver device and, depending on the control signals, to retrieve partial data areas of the stored flight data from the memory and to transfer them to the transceiver device.