Aircraft Landing Light Operation Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current landing light systems on aircraft increase fuel burn and drag when extended, reducing flight efficiency and increasing operational costs due to their aerodynamic disruption and prolonged activation during takeoff and landing.
Innovation Solution
A computing device is used to determine an optimized operating procedure for landing lights based on real-time contextual data, including creating a tail number-specific performance model to calculate an optimal altitude for activation and deactivation, reducing the time of extended operation and thus minimizing drag and fuel burn.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If landing lights are extended and operated during flight, then visibility and collision mitigation are improved, but fuel burn and drag increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of landing light operation by continuously monitoring real-time contextual data (traffic density, weather conditions, proximity to other aircraft) and adjusting landing light activation/deactivation accordingly. This dynamic approach allows the system to extend landing lights only when necessary for safety while retracting them during cruise or low-traffic conditions, thereby maintaining visibility requirements while minimizing fuel burn and drag.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes operational parameters by optimizing the duration and timing of landing light based on multiple variables including aircraft speed, altitude, traffic density, and environmental conditions. By adjusting these parameters dynamically rather than using fixed operational protocols, the system achieves the safety visibility requirements while reducing unnecessary energy consumption and aerodynamic drag during extended operation.
2Reliability
If landing lights are extended during flight, then visibility to other aircraft is improved, but aerodynamic drag increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts landing light extension based on real-time traffic density and proximity data from ADS-B and other surveillance systems. When no other aircraft are in close proximity, the landing lights are retracted to minimize aerodynamic drag. When traffic density increases or another aircraft is detected in the vicinity, the system extends the landing lights to provide necessary visibility, thus balancing safety requirements with drag reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the landing light function from continuous operation and applies it only when specifically needed based on contextual analysis. By separating the visibility function from constant operation and triggering it only during high-traffic or low-visibility conditions, the system maintains safety while removing the harmful aerodynamic drag effect during normal cruise or low-traffic conditions.
3Reliability
If landing lights are operated for prolonged periods during takeoff and landing, then safety and visibility are improved, but flight efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of flight phases, weather conditions, and traffic patterns before determining landing light operation. By pre-assessing whether conditions warrant extended landing light operation during takeoff or landing sequences, the system can make informed decisions that ensure safety while avoiding unnecessary prolonged operation that would reduce flight efficiency. The system also uses historical data and performance models to optimize timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that continuously monitors flight phase, environmental conditions, and actual visibility requirements during takeoff and landing operations. This real-time feedback allows the system to adjust landing light operation duration dynamically, ensuring minimum safety requirements are met while minimizing the impact on flight efficiency. The feedback loop uses data from multiple sensors and systems to continuously optimize the balance between safety and efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method for providing landing lights operation data during a flight of an aircraft is provided. The method obtains a standard operating procedure (SOP) for operating landing lights onboard the aircraft during the flight, wherein the SOP comprises a customary industry-recommended practice for at least one of extension and retraction of the landing lights on the aircraft, and wherein execution of the SOP produces a flight efficiency level including at least fuel burn and drag parameters; determines an optimized operating procedure for the landing lights to increase the flight efficiency level to achieve an increased flight efficiency level, based on real-time contextual data; and presents an advisory comprising at least graphical elements associated with the optimized operating procedure, a potential cost savings for the optimized operating procedure, and the increased flight efficiency level onboard the aircraft, via a display device.