AIRCRAFT SYSTEM EMISSIONS AND NOISE ESTIMATION MECHANISM

• US 20090265049A1
• Filed: 04/22/2008
• Published: 10/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Svoboda, Jiri, Mylarswamy, Dinkar, Brazdilova, Silvie Luisa, Lieber, Lysbeth, Krupansky, Petr, Wise, John A.
• Application Number:
  US12/107,282
• Publication Number:
  US 20090265049A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/003 Flight plan management

Abstract

A method for generating emissions estimations of an aircraft is provided. A plurality of aircraft parameters is gathered. A first parameter of the plurality of aircraft parameters is selected for a first model. The first model mathematically contributes to the formulation of a first emissions estimation. The first model is considered with a plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters to obtain the first emissions estimation. The first emissions estimation is a composite representation of the first model and the plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters.

Claims

1. A method for generating emissions estimations of an aircraft, comprising:

gathering a plurality of aircraft parameters;

selecting a first parameter of the plurality of aircraft parameters for a first model, the first model mathematically contributing to the formulation of a first emissions estimation;

considering the first model with a plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters to obtain the first emissions estimation, the first emissions estimation a composite representation of the first model and the plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein gathering a plurality of aircraft parameters includes gathering real-time flight data from a plurality of aircraft sensors, and gathering weather parameters associated with the aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1, further including analyzing the first emissions estimation in view of a proposed flight plan of the aircraft, the proposed flight plan contributing at least one of the plurality of aircraft parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, further including:

generating a second emissions estimation based on a current state of the aircraft, and

comparing the second emissions estimation with the first emissions estimation to determine which of the current state of the aircraft or the proposed flight plan change results in lower aircraft emissions.

5. The method of claim 4, further including:

generating a third, inverse emissions estimation based on at least one aircraft parameter representing an inverse of the proposed flight plan, and

comparing the third emissions estimation with the first and second emission estimations to determine which of the current state of the aircraft, the proposed flight plan change, or the inverse of the proposed flight plan results in lower aircraft emissions.

6. A method for providing emissions estimations of an aircraft for datalink to an air traffic management system, comprising:

gathering a plurality of aircraft parameters;

selecting a first parameter of the plurality of aircraft parameters for a first model, the first model mathematically contributing to the formulation of a first emissions estimation;

considering the first model with a plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters to obtain the first emissions estimation, the first emissions estimation a composite representation of the first model and the plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters; and

providing the first emissions estimation to the air traffic management system, the air traffic management system analyzing the first emissions estimation with an additional emissions estimation to determine an appropriate flight plan for the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 6, further including receiving an emissions request from the air traffic management system for a proposed flight plan change for the aircraft, the proposed flight plan change supplying at least one of the plurality of aircraft parameters.

8. The method of claim 7, further including subsequent to receiving the emissions request:

generating a second emissions estimation to compare with the first emissions estimation, the first emissions estimation based on the proposed flight plan change and the second emissions estimation based on a current flight state of the aircraft,

generating a third, inverse emissions estimation to compare with the first emissions estimation, the third, inverse emissions estimation based on at least one aircraft parameter representing an inverse of the proposed flight plan, and

providing the second and third emissions estimations to the air traffic management system along with the first emissions estimation.

9. The method of claim 8, further including generating a fourth, optimal emissions estimation based on an emissions-optimal set of the plurality of aircraft parameters.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein considering the first model with a plurality of additional models to obtain the emissions estimation includes cross referencing the plurality of aircraft parameters with an emissions lookup table representative of the first model and the plurality of additional models.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein gathering a plurality of aircraft parameters includes gathering real-time flight data from a plurality of aircraft sensors.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein gathering a plurality of aircraft parameters includes gathering weather parameters associated with the aircraft.

13. A system for providing emissions estimations of an aircraft for datalink to an air traffic management system, comprising:

an estimation module in communication with a flight management system of the aircraft and a plurality of aircraft sensors, the estimation module configured for;

gathering a plurality of aircraft parameters, at least one of the plurality of aircraft parameters obtained from at least one of the plurality of aircraft sensors,

selecting a first parameter of the plurality of aircraft parameters for a first model, the first model mathematically contributing to the formulation of a first emissions estimation,

considering the first model with a plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters to obtain the first emissions estimation, the first emissions estimation a composite representation of the first model and the plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters; and

a communication module coupled to the estimation module, the communication module configured for;

receiving an emissions request from the air traffic management system for a proposed flight change for the aircraft, the proposed flight change providing at least one of the plurality of aircraft parameters, and

in response to the emissions request, providing the first emissions estimation to the air traffic management system, the air traffic management system analyzing the first emissions estimation with an additional emissions estimation to determine an appropriate flight plan for the aircraft.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the estimation module is further configured for, subsequent to receiving the emissions request:

generating a second emissions estimation to compare with the first emissions estimation, the first emissions estimation based on the proposed flight plan change and the second emissions estimation based on a current flight state of the aircraft,

generating a third, inverse emissions estimation to compare with the first emissions estimation, the third, inverse emissions estimation based on at least one aircraft parameter representing an inverse of the proposed flight plan, and

providing the second and third emissions estimations to the air traffic management system along with the first emissions estimation.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the estimation module is further configured for cross referencing the plurality of aircraft parameters with an emissions lookup table representative of the first model and the plurality of additional models.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of aircraft parameters includes at least one of engine configuration parameters, engine performance parameters, airframe configuration parameters, aircraft performance parameters, aircraft system configuration patterns, and environment parameters.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of aircraft parameters includes historical parameters associated with the aircraft recorded over a period of time.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft parameters are related to hydrocarbon emissions of the aircraft, and the first model mathematically contributes to the formulation of a hydrocarbon emissions estimation.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the aircraft parameters are related to noise emissions of the aircraft, and the first model mathematically contributes to the formulation of a noise emissions estimation.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of aircraft parameters include at least one of engine inlet pressure, engine inlet temperature, mach number, power level position, altitude, exhaust gas temperature, fuel flow, compressor pressure, inter-stage pressure, fan speed, core shaft speed, bleed positions, combustor inlet conditions, combustor outlet conditions, exhaust gas composition, and time-averaged volumetric emissions.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the first model is a gas path thermodynamic model, an onboard data acquisition model, a combustor boundary conditions model, a combustion model, or an air flow model.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of aircraft parameters include at least one of a number of fan stages, a number of fan rotor blades, a number of fan stator vanes, a rotor-stator axial spacing, a fan tip diameter, a fan hub diameter, a fan relative tip mach number, a fan acoustic treatment attenuation spectra, a fan inlet mass flow, a fan revolution per minute (RPM), a fan inlet temperature, a fan exit temperature, a turbine temperature, a combustor inlet mass flow, a combustor inlet temperature, a combustor inlet pressure, a turbine inlet temperature, an axial turbine tip diameter, an axial turbine hub diameter, a number of turbine rotor blades, a turbine revolution per minute (RPM), and a turbine section pressure ratio.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of aircraft parameters include at least one of a core jet outer diameter, a core jet annular height, a bypass jet outer diameter, a bypass jet annular height, an axial distance from a bypass nozzle exit plane to core nozzle exit plane, a core pressure ratio, a bypass pressure ratio, a core nozzle physical area, a bypass nozzle physical area, a fully expanded core jet velocity, a fully expanded bypass jet velocity, a core jet temperature, and a bypass jet temperature.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of aircraft parameters include at least one of a landing gear component dimension, a number of wheels, a wing span, a wing area, a flap span, a flap area, a horizontal tail span, a vertical tail span, a horizontal tail area, a vertical tail area, a landing gear position, and a flap setting.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of aircraft parameters include at least one of a number of engines, wing panel coordinates, an engine orientation, an ambient temperature, an ambient pressure, a relative humidity, an aircraft flight speed, an aircraft flight path angle, an angle of attack, an aircraft altitude.

26. A computer program product for providing emissions estimations of an aircraft for datalink to an air traffic management system, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein, the computer-readable program code portions comprising:

a first executable portion configured for gathering a plurality of aircraft parameters;

a second executable portion configured for selecting a first parameter of the plurality of aircraft parameters for a first model, the first model mathematically contributing to the formulation of a first emissions estimation;

a third executable portion configured for considering the first model with a plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters to obtain the first emissions estimation, the first emissions estimation a composite representation of the first model and the plurality of additional models in view of the plurality of aircraft parameters; and

a fourth executable portion configured for providing the first emissions estimation to the air traffic management system, the air traffic management system analyzing the first emissions estimation with an additional emissions estimation to determine an appropriate flight plan for the aircraft.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, further including a fifth executable portion configured for processing an emissions request from the air traffic management system for a proposed flight plan change for the aircraft, the proposed flight plan change supplying at least one of the plurality of aircraft parameters.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further including a sixth executable portion configured for, subsequent to processing the emissions request:

generating a second emissions estimation to compare with the first emissions estimation, the first emissions estimation based on the proposed flight plan change and the second emissions estimation based on a current flight state of the aircraft,

generating a third, inverse emissions estimation to compare with the first emissions estimation, the third, inverse emissions estimation based on at least one aircraft parameter representing an inverse of the proposed flight plan, and

providing the second and third emissions estimations to the air traffic management system along with the first emissions estimation.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, further including a seventh executable portion configured for generating a fourth, optimal emissions estimation based on an emissions-optimal set of the plurality of aircraft parameters.