On-ground Braking Alerts for Runway Excursions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for alerting pilots during landing rely on pilot perception and interpretation of braking performance, which can lead to insufficient braking in adverse conditions, increasing the risk of runway excursions.
Innovation Solution
An onboard braking alerting system that uses algorithms to calculate the remaining runway distance and deceleration rate, comparing it to the maximum manual deceleration distance or time, and issuing alerts when braking is insufficient to prevent a runway excursion, utilizing a computer system and alert device for visual or aural notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If automated systems provide distance remaining callouts, then pilot awareness of runway position is improved, but the system still requires pilot interpretation and determination of corrective action
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors actual deceleration rate, groundspeed, and position, then provides feedback alerts when braking performance deviates from the deceleration schedule. This closed-loop feedback eliminates the need for pilot interpretation by automatically comparing actual performance against planned performance and issuing corrective alerts.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-monitoring of braking performance by automatically acquiring deceleration data, comparing it against the deceleration schedule, and generating alerts without pilot intervention. The computer system serves itself by autonomously evaluating whether corrective action is needed based on predefined criteria.
2Measurement precision
If pilots use runway landmarks to estimate braking performance, then performance assessment is possible, but reading and interpreting billboards in all conditions creates operational difficulty
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces the visual/mechanical method of reading physical billboards with an electronic/computational system that automatically measures and processes deceleration data. Sensors and computers substitute for pilot vision and interpretation, providing precise performance measurement independent of visual conditions.
3Reliability
If pilots manually assess braking performance against planned performance, then performance monitoring is possible, but this process is time-consuming and delays corrective action
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-establishes a deceleration schedule before landing based on aircraft weight, runway conditions, and other parameters. During rollout, it automatically compares actual deceleration against this pre-planned schedule, enabling immediate alerting when performance deviates, thus eliminating the time delay for manual assessment and corrective action.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors deceleration performance throughout the entire rollout phase without interruption or manual intervention. This continuous automated monitoring eliminates gaps in surveillance and ensures immediate detection of performance deviations, maintaining constant useful action from touchdown to stop.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for reducing the number of runway excursions (i.e., airplanes going off the end of a runway). An alerting system is provided which alerts pilots when computer calculations indicate that current airplane braking is insufficient to keep the airplane from going off the end of the runway. The current airplane braking during rollout is evaluated using algorithms which take into account the current groundspeed of the airplane, the current deceleration rate or the maximum manual deceleration rate of the airplane, and the distance from the current position of the airplane to the end of the runway.