Aircraft Runway Intersection Assessment System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft pilots face increased workload when deciding between full-length and intersection takeoffs, as they must assess safety conditions, including temperature and runway length, to determine valid takeoff intersections, which can be complex and time-consuming.
Innovation Solution
A flight deck system that estimates the required runway length for takeoff based on aircraft parameters and applies elevation, temperature, and gradient corrections to identify valid and invalid intersections, displaying invalid intersections on a map to alert the crew.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pilots manually assess safety conditions and determine valid takeoff intersections, then safety can be ensured through careful evaluation, but pilot workload increases and the process becomes time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by allowing the aircraft's own systems to automatically assess safety conditions and determine valid takeoff intersections without requiring pilot intervention for complex calculations. The flight deck system performs automated evaluations of temperature, elevation, gradient, and runway length parameters to identify valid intersections, freeing pilots from manual assessment while maintaining safety through systematic computational analysis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical assessment process with an automated electronic flight deck system. Instead of pilots manually calculating and evaluating takeoff parameters, the system uses computer-based algorithms to automatically process temperature, elevation, gradient, and runway length data, substituting human cognitive workload with automated computational mechanisms that provide rapid, accurate results
2Measurement precision
If pilots manually calculate and evaluate takeoff parameters, then accurate assessment can be achieved, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-calculating and storing performance data, temperature corrections, elevation corrections, and gradient corrections before they are needed for decision-making. The flight deck system has already processed and organized all relevant parameters and correction factors, so when takeoff planning is required, the system can rapidly retrieve and combine these pre-prepared data elements to immediately identify valid intersections without requiring pilots to perform time-consuming manual calculations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex manual calculation mechanisms with automated electronic computation. The flight deck system uses computer-based algorithms to rapidly process multiple parameters including temperature corrections, elevation corrections, gradient corrections, and runway length calculations, providing accurate assessment results instantaneously rather than requiring pilots to manually evaluate each factor sequentially, thereby eliminating the time penalty associated with precise manual assessment
Data Source
AI summary
A method in an aircraft for identifying valid runway intersections for takeoff is provided. The method comprises: estimating a runway length required for takeoff based on aircraft parameters; estimating, at each of a plurality of runway intersections, a corrected runway length at the runway intersection by applying an elevation correction, a temperature correction, and a gradient correction; determining, based on the estimated runway length required for takeoff and the corrected runway length at each of the plurality of runway intersections, each valid runway intersection from the plurality of runway intersections whose corrected runway length is long enough for use by the aircraft for takeoff and each invalid runway intersection from the plurality of runway intersections whose corrected runway length is not long enough for use by the aircraft for takeoff; and signaling an aircraft display device to display on a map depicting the takeoff runway each invalid runway intersection.