Aircraft Ground Support Modules with Pilot-Visible Removal Alerts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ground support equipment modules on aircraft are often overlooked during pre-flight checks, leading to potential incidents due to their presence on sensitive components, which are not visible to pilots and can cause overheating or engine failure.
Innovation Solution
A ground support equipment system with modules connected via physical wires or wireless RFID modules to a common interconnection device, such as a cockpit door handle, ensuring visible alerting to pilots, and an aircraft control system to prevent engine start if modules are not removed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If ground support equipment modules are mounted to sensitive technical components for protection, then protection against environmental conditions is improved, but visibility during pre-flight check deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The ground support equipment modules are equipped with colored flags or visually distinct markings that change or enhance their visibility. The flags are designed to be highly visible against the aircraft background, ensuring pilots can easily detect their presence during pre-flight checks regardless of environmental conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediary alerting system is introduced between the ground support equipment modules and the pilot. This system includes visual indicators, flags, or electronic alerts that mediate the communication of the modules' presence to the pilot, ensuring they are noticed during pre-flight checks.
2Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If colored flags are used as visible alerting means, then detectability is improved, but reliability deteriorates in rainy conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces or supplements mechanical visual alerting (colored flags) with electronic or sensor-based alerting systems. Sensors detect the presence of ground support equipment modules and trigger electronic alerts or lights that are not affected by rain, ensuring reliable detection in adverse weather conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
An electronic feedback system is implemented where sensors continuously monitor the presence of ground support equipment modules and provide real-time feedback to the pilot through electronic alerts, lights, or audio signals. This feedback mechanism ensures reliable detection regardless of environmental conditions.
3Productivity
If ground support equipment modules are left mounted to avoid overlooking, then operational continuity is improved, but safety deteriorates due to potential overheating or engine failure
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection during pre-flight checks to identify ground support equipment modules that need to be removed. The alerting system ensures pilots are notified before flight operation begins, allowing time for safe removal and preventing potential overheating or engine failure during flight.
Solution Approach 2:
Electronic sensors and alerting systems provide continuous feedback about the presence of ground support equipment modules. This feedback mechanism ensures pilots are informed of any modules that remain mounted, enabling them to take corrective action before flight operation to maintain safety.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present embodiments relate to a ground support equipment system (150) for use on an aircraft (100), comprising: a plurality of ground support equipment modules (192, 194) mountable to associated aircraft components (193, 195) of an aircraft (100) parked on ground (105) for protecting the associated aircraft components (193, 195) from environmental conditions, in particular rain, wind, snow, frost, sand, and/or salt conditions; and a plurality of connecting means (200) adapted to connect the plurality of ground support equipment modules (192, 194) to at least one common interconnection device (212) for rendering mounting of the plurality of ground support equipment modules (192, 194) to the associated aircraft components (193, 195) discernible for a pilot of the aircraft (100).