System and method for facilitating aerial refueling

• US 8,132,759 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Von Thal, German
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tien
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzell, Philip J
• Application Number:
  US11/689,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20080234884A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,819 Days
• Field of Search: 244/1.TD, 244/135.A, 244/135.R
• US Class Current: 244/135.A
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 39/00 Refuelling during flight filling or emptying fuel tanks B64D37/14

Abstract

A refueling system and method for use with a refueling tanker aircraft. The system and method involves the use of a camera system to provide imaging information concerning a receiver aircraft to the processor. The processor uses the imaging information to derive closure rate and distance information for the receiver aircraft as it approaches a refueling envelope prior to contact with a refueling boom. The processor also makes use of information from a look-up table to generate commands that are tailored to the specific type of aircraft being refueled. The commands are applied to a pilot'"'"'s director lights display that generates visual commands or signals (e.g., “UP”, “DOWN”, “LEFT”, “RIGHT”) that assist the pilot of the receiver aircraft in guiding his/her aircraft toward and into the refueling envelope at a desired closure rate. The system and method eliminates potential error in the pre-contact phase of a refueling operation by eliminating judgment decisions by a boom operator when generating the commands for the pilot'"'"'s director lights display.

Claims

1. A system for use with a tanker refueling aircraft to assist in guiding a fuel receiver aircraft into a desired spatial envelope, within which a refueling component can be coupled to said receiver aircraft to enable a refueling operation to be carried out on said receiver aircraft, the system comprising:

an operator station having a display system;

a processor in communication with said operator station;

a camera system in communication with said processor for providing a real time image of said receiver aircraft that is displayed on said display system of said operator station;

a closure rate and distance measuring subsystem in communication with the processor and said operator station, and further being disposed on said re-fueling aircraft for real time monitoring of a position of said receiver aircraft, relative to said refueling aircraft, and a closure rate of said receiver aircraft relative to said refueling aircraft, and generating signals used by said processor in generating required flight adjustments by said receiver aircraft as said receiver aircraft approaches and enters said spatial envelope, said signals being generated without input from a boom operator on the refueling aircraft;

the processor further being in communication with a look-up table for storing information pertinent to a plurality of different types of aircraft that may be involved in a refueling operation performed by said refueling aircraft, and information concerning a predetermined closure rate required for use with each one of said different types of aircraft, and the processor further being adapted to modify said signals in accordance with a specific said closure rate, associated with the receiver aircraft, obtained from the look-up table;

a visual indicator system that is responsive to said signals for generating visually perceptible information that an operator of said receiver aircraft can see to assist said operator in guiding said receiver aircraft towards and into said spatial envelope; and

a manual light driver system also in communication with the processor and adapted to receive an input from the boom operator via the operator station to allow the boom operator to directly drive the visual indicator system in place of the subsystem, so that the boom operator has direct control over the visually perceptible information being generated by the visual indicator system that the operator of the receiver aircraft sees.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual indicator system is carried on said refueling aircraft.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said camera system includes a camera carried on said refueling aircraft for real time monitoring of a position of said receiver aircraft relative to said refueling aircraft.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a driver circuit for generating said signals from an output of said processor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said visual indicator system displays at least one of the following commands to a pilot of said receiving aircraft

a “

Fast”

command indicating a need to increase air speed;

a “

Slow”

command indicating a need to decrease air speed;

a “

UP”

command indicating a need to increase altitude;

a “

Down”

command indicating a need to decrease altitude;

a “

Left”

command indicating a need to move to the left;

a “

Right”

command indicating a need to move to the right; and

a “

Breakaway”

command indicating a need to abort the approach into said spatial envelope.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said processor makes use of information from at least one of an altimeter and an airspeed indicator of said refueling aircraft.

7. A system for use with a tanker refueling aircraft to assist in guiding a fuel receiver aircraft into a desired spatial envelope, within which a refueling component can be coupled to said receiver aircraft to enable a refueling operation to be carried out on said receiver aircraft, the system comprising:

an operator station having a display system;

a processor in communication with said operator station;

a camera system in communication with said processor for providing a real time image of said receiver aircraft that is displayed on said display system of said operator station;

a closure rate and distance measuring subsystem in communication with the processor and said operator station, and further being disposed on said re-fueling aircraft for real time monitoring of a position of said receiver aircraft, relative to said refueling aircraft, and a closure rate of said receiver aircraft relative to said refueling aircraft, and generating signals used by said processor in generating required flight adjustments by said receiver aircraft as said receiver aircraft approaches and enters said spatial envelope, said signals being generated without input from a boom operator on the refueling aircraft;

the processor being in communication with a look-up table for storing information pertinent to a plurality of different types of aircraft that may be involved in a refueling operation performed by said refueling aircraft, and information concerning a specific, predetermined closure rate for each one of said different types of aircraft, and said processor further using a selected one of said closure rates obtained from said look-up table to modify said signals as needed for the receiver aircraft;

an altimeter in communication with said processor for providing a signal representative of a real time altitude of said refueling aircraft;

an air speed indicator in communication with said processor for providing an airspeed signal to the refueling aircraft;

a visual indicator system that is responsive to said signals for generating visually perceptible information that an operator of said receiver aircraft can see to assist said operator in guiding said receiver aircraft towards and into said spatial envelope; and

a manual light driver system also in communication with the processor and adapted to receive an input from a boom operator via the operator station to allow the boom operator to directly drive the visual indicator system in place of the subsystem, so that the boom operator has direct control over the visually perceptible information being generated by the visual indicator system that the operator of the receiver aircraft sees.