Aircraft Laser Flight Path Clearing for Insect Residue Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Insect residue on aircraft surfaces disrupts aerodynamic performance and interferes with sensors, leading to increased drag, fuel consumption, and reduced accuracy of airspeed and angle of attack readings.
Innovation Solution
A laser beam system controlled by a controller to clear flight paths by emitting a laser beam with selected characteristics to scan an area based on object type, using a pattern that clears objects from the flight path without evasive maneuvers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the aircraft maintains clean aerodynamic surfaces to optimize performance, then aerodynamic efficiency is improved, but insect residue accumulates on surfaces leading to increased drag and fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The laser beam system performs preliminary clearing of insects and debris from the flight path before the aircraft encounters them. By proactively removing contaminants from the ahead region, the system prevents insect residue accumulation on aerodynamic surfaces, maintaining clean surfaces without requiring active cleaning mechanisms during flight.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser beam acts as an intermediary between the aircraft and insects/debris in the flight path. Instead of directly cleaning surfaces or reacting to contamination, the laser beam mediates by vaporizing or disrupting contaminants in the air stream before they can deposit on aircraft surfaces, thus preventing residue formation.
2Reliability
If the aircraft performs evasive maneuvers to avoid objects in flight path, then collision risk is reduced, but flight path stability and aerodynamic performance are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the potential harm of objects in the flight path into a beneficial outcome by using the laser beam to clear these objects away. Instead of reacting to threats with evasive maneuvers that compromise stability, the laser actively removes the threat, transforming the problem of obstacles into a solution where the flight path remains stable and clear.
Solution Approach 2:
The laser beam system performs preliminary clearing of the flight path ahead of the aircraft, identifying and removing objects before they become a collision risk. This proactive approach eliminates the need for reactive evasive maneuvers, maintaining flight path stability while ensuring safety.
3Reliability
If the laser beam scans the entire area ahead of the aircraft, then complete flight path clearing is achieved, but scanning time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The laser beam system applies local quality by concentrating scanning and clearing efforts in specific regions of the flight path where objects are most likely to occur or where the greatest clearing benefit can be achieved. Rather than uniformly scanning all areas, the system targets high-priority zones, reducing total scan time while maintaining effective clearing coverage.
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
The system effectively removes objects from the flight path, maintaining aerodynamic efficiency and sensor accuracy by avoiding collisions and impacts.
Implementation Method 1
A laser beam system controlled by a controller to clear flight paths by emitting a laser beam with selected characteristics to scan an area based on object type
Data Source
AI summary
A flight path clearing system comprising a laser beam system in an aircraft and a controller. The controller is configured to select a number of characteristics for a laser beam based on an object type. The controller is configured to control the laser beam system to emit the laser beam with the number of characteristics in a direction relative to a flight path of the aircraft. The controller is configured to control the laser beam system to move the laser beam with the number of characteristics selected for the object type to scan an area using a pattern that is based on a sequence of locations in the pattern being nearest to a center of the area, wherein a number of objects of the object type hit by the laser beam is cleared from the flight path.