Ground-based identification of wake turbulence encounters

• US 10,055,998 B1
• Filed: 08/25/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus, Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus, Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Reinke, Andreas, Kauertz, Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): File, Erin M
• Application Number:
  US15/687,139
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2001/003 Clear air turbulence detection or forecasting, e.g. for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 2001/006 Main server receiving weather information from several sub-stations
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0026 located on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0082 for monitoring traffic from a ground station radar or analogous systems specially adapted for traffic control G01S13/91
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W

Abstract

A ground-based server is configured for identifying encounters of aircraft with wake turbulences generated by at least one other generating aircraft. The ground-based server is configured for: collecting avionics data for an in-flight aircraft and traffic data for one or more other aircraft in flight at a first flight time of the in-flight aircraft; determining that the in-flight aircraft was near a wake turbulence estimated, using the traffic data, to be generated by another aircraft; determining that the in-flight aircraft experienced at the first flight time a severe impact; determining that the in-flight aircraft experienced at the first flight time at least one of: one or more uncommanded forces and moments, and a wind signature indicative of wake turbulence; and in response, generating a report of a wake turbulence encounter for the in-flight aircraft at the first flight time.

Claims

1. A ground-based server for identifying a wake turbulence generated by at least one generating aircraft, the ground-based server comprising:

at least one processor and memory storing executable instructions for the at least one processor; and

a wake turbulence analyzer implemented on the at least one processor and memory and configured for;

collecting avionics data for an in-flight aircraft and traffic data for one or more other aircraft in flight at a first flight time of the in-flight aircraft;

determining that the in-flight aircraft was within a threshold distance of at least a first position of a wake turbulence estimated, using the traffic data, to be generated by a first other aircraft;

determining, after the first flight time and at the ground-based server, that the in-flight aircraft experienced at the first flight time an impact having a severity level exceeding a threshold;

determining, after the first flight time and at the ground-based server, that the in-flight aircraft experienced at the first flight time at least one of;

one or more uncommanded forces and moments, and a wind signature indicative of wake turbulence; and

generating a report of a wake turbulence encounter for the in-flight aircraft at the first flight time in response to;

determining that the in-flight aircraft was within the threshold distance, determining that the in-flight aircraft experienced the impact, and determining that the in-flight aircraft experienced at least one of the one or more uncommanded forces and moments and the wind signature.

2. The ground-based server of claim 1, wherein the wake turbulence analyzer is configured for collecting additional avionics data for a fleet of aircraft over a window of time and additional traffic data for the window of time and generating a plurality of wake turbulence reports for the fleet of aircraft over the window of time.

3. The ground-based server of claim 1, wherein collecting avionics data for the in-flight aircraft comprises communicating with an on-board avionics computer system of the in-flight aircraft during or after the first flight time.

4. The ground-based server of claim 1, wherein collecting the traffic data for the one or more other aircraft comprises communicating with an on-board avionics computer system of the in-flight aircraft during or after the first flight time, wherein the on-board avionics computer system is configured to record air-to-air data link messages from the one or more other aircraft when the other aircraft are within a vicinity of the in-flight aircraft.

5. The ground-based server of claim 1, wherein collecting the traffic data for the one or more other aircraft comprises requesting the traffic data from an external data server.

6. The ground-based server of claim 1, wherein determining that the in-flight aircraft was within the threshold distance of the first position of the wake turbulence comprises computing, using the traffic data, a central line of the wake turbulence of the first other aircraft and determining, using the central line, a volume in which the wake turbulences are likely to influence behavior of the in-flight aircraft.

7. The ground-based server of claim 1, wherein determining that the in-flight aircraft was within a threshold distance of a wake turbulence comprises measuring the wake turbulence using a ground-based measurement system and determining a volume in which the wake turbulences are likely to influence the behavior of the in-flight aircraft.

8. The ground-based server of claim 1, wherein determining the severity level comprises evaluating one or more of the following parameters against pre-determined values:

roll and pitch angles;

maximums of lateral and vertical load factors at a center of gravity of the in-flight aircraft or another specific place on the in-flight aircraft;

deviations with respect to an intended flight trajectory;

an aerodynamic envelope;

one or more structural loads;

maximums of external roll moments; and

maximums of roll control ratios.

9. A method for identifying a wake turbulence generated by at least one generating aircraft, the method comprising:

collecting, by a wake turbulence analyzer implemented on at least one processor of a ground-based server, avionics data for an in-flight aircraft and traffic data for one or more other aircraft in flight at a first flight time of the in-flight aircraft;

determining, by the wake turbulence analyzer using the avionics data, that the in-flight aircraft was within a threshold distance of at least a first position of a wake turbulence estimated, using the traffic data, to be generated by a first other aircraft;

determining, by the wake turbulence analyzer using the avionics data, and after the first flight time, that the in-flight aircraft experienced at the first flight time an impact having a severity level exceeding a threshold;

determining, by the wake turbulence analyzer using the avionics data, and after the first flight time, that the in-flight aircraft experienced at the first flight time at least one of;

one or more uncommanded forces and moments, and a wind signature indicative of wake turbulence; and

generating, by the wake turbulence analyzer, a report of a wake turbulence encounter for the in-flight aircraft at the first flight time in response to;

determining that the in-flight aircraft was within the threshold distance, determining that the in-flight aircraft experienced the impact, and determining that the in-flight aircraft experienced at least one of the one or more uncommanded forces and moments and the wind signature.

10. The method of claim 9, comprising collecting additional avionics data for a fleet of aircraft over a window of time and additional traffic data for the window of time and generating a plurality of wake turbulence reports for the fleet of aircraft over the window of time.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein collecting avionics data for the in-flight aircraft comprises communicating with an on-board avionics computer system of the in-flight aircraft during or after the first flight time.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein collecting the traffic data for the one or more other aircraft comprises communicating with an on-board avionics computer system of the in-flight aircraft during or after the first flight time, wherein the on-board avionics computer system is configured to record air-to-air data link messages from the one or more other aircraft when the other aircraft are within a vicinity of the in-flight aircraft.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein collecting the traffic data for the one or more other aircraft comprises requesting the traffic data from an external data server.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the in-flight aircraft was within the threshold distance the first position of the wake turbulence comprises computing, using the traffic data, a central line of the wake turbulence of the first other aircraft and determining, using the central line, a volume in which the wake turbulences are likely to influence the behavior of the in-flight aircraft.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein determining that the in-flight aircraft was within a threshold distance of a wake turbulence comprises measuring the wake turbulence using a ground-based measurement system and determining a volume in which the wake turbulences are likely to influence the behavior of the in-flight aircraft.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the severity level comprises evaluating one or more of the following parameters against pre-determined values:

roll and pitch angles;

maximums of lateral and vertical load factors at a center of gravity of the in-flight aircraft or another specific place on the in-flight aircraft;

deviations with respect to an intended flight trajectory;

an aerodynamic envelope;

one or more structural loads;

maximums of external roll moments; and

maximums of roll control ratios.

17. One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

collecting avionics data for an in-flight aircraft and traffic data for one or more other aircraft in flight at a first flight time of the in-flight aircraft;

determining that the in-flight aircraft was within a threshold distance of at least a first position of a wake turbulence estimated, using the traffic data, to be generated by a first other aircraft;

determining, after the first flight time and at a ground-based server, that the in-flight aircraft experienced at the first flight time an impact having a severity level exceeding a threshold;

determining, after the first flight time and at the ground-based server, that the in-flight aircraft experienced at the first flight time at least one of;

one or more uncommanded forces and moments, and a wind signature indicative of wake turbulence; and

generating a report of a wake turbulence encounter for the in-flight aircraft at the first flight time in response to;

determining that the in-flight aircraft was within the threshold distance, determining that the in-flight aircraft experienced the impact, and determining that the in-flight aircraft experienced at least one of the one or more uncommanded forces and moments and the wind signature.