FMC Thrust Rating Model Data Consolidation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The duplication of Thrust Rating Model (TRM) data between the Flight Management Computer (FMC) and Electronic Engine Controllers (EECs) in aircraft leads to inefficient memory utilization and increased error potential due to data mismatch issues.
Innovation Solution
The FMC stores engine data related to the most recent flight configuration in non-volatile memory and performs error checks to determine if the data is consistent with data from the EECs, dynamically selecting a compatible engine thrust rating by accessing and intermixing data from both sources as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TRM data is duplicated in both FMC and EEC, then data availability is improved, but memory efficiency deteriorates and error potential increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the TRM data storage function into a single location (EEC) while the FMC accesses this data remotely. This eliminates the duplication of large TRM datasets across multiple systems, freeing up memory resources in the FMC while maintaining data availability through networked access to the centralized EEC storage.
Solution Approach 2:
The EEC is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the engine control unit and the centralized repository for TRM data. This multi-functional approach allows the TRM data to be universally accessible to the FMC without requiring separate dedicated storage, thereby improving memory efficiency while maintaining data availability.
2Ease of operation
If TRM data is duplicated in both FMC and EEC, then data accessibility is improved, but data consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By consolidating TRM data storage in the EEC and eliminating duplication in the FMC, the system ensures that there is only one source of truth for the data. This single-source approach inherently prevents consistency issues that arise from synchronized updates across multiple copies, while data accessibility is maintained through the FMC's ability to access the centralized EEC storage via data links.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements error check operations that provide feedback mechanisms to verify data integrity and consistency. When the FMC accesses TRM data from the EEC, validation protocols ensure the data has not been corrupted or improperly modified, maintaining reliability while preserving accessibility.
3Measurement precision
If manual updates are performed on TRM data, then data accuracy can be controlled, but time consumption and error potential increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic error checking and validation operations that perform self-verification of TRM data integrity. When data is accessed or updated, the error check operations automatically validate consistency without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining data accuracy while eliminating the time consumption and human error associated with manual verification processes.
4Reliability
If error check operations are performed on engine data, then data reliability is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The error check operations are designed to perform partial validation - checking only the critical consistency parameters and error indicators rather than exhaustive verification of all data elements. This selective approach maintains data reliability for the most important aspects while minimizing the processing time penalty, achieving an optimal balance between reliability and productivity.
Data Source
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AI summary
An aircraft includes engines, electronic engine controllers (EECs) associated with the engines, and a flight management computer (FMC). The FMC includes a non-volatile memory and processor(s) configured to perform one or more error check operations based on engine data from a non-volatile memory of the FMC to determine whether to select an engine thrust rating for a thrust model of the aircraft based, in part, on an engine rating identifier associated with the engine data. The processor(s) may also, or alternatively, be configured to select, based on the plurality of local thrust rating model (TRM) identifiers, intermix thrust model data for use by the FMC during a flight of the aircraft, where the intermix thrust model data is associated with a thrust model identifier that is common to two or more engines of the aircraft.