Assistance process and device for managing an in-flight refueling

• US 8,463,538 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Boinon, Bertrand, Ferret, Nicolas, Artini, Franck, Foucault, Philippe, Marion, Gatan, Melin, Franois
• Primary Examiner(s): Jabr, Fadey
• Assistant Examiner(s): INGRAM, THOMAS P
• Application Number:
  US12/818,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20100332055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: 701/1, 701/3, 701/4, 701/302, 244/135.A, 244/75.1, 340/945
• US Class Current: 701/302
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00

Abstract

An assisting process and device for managing an in-flight refueling is disclosed. The device (1) comprising means (3) for automatically calculating a distance between aircrafts, at which a meeting phase for an in-flight refueling should be initiated.

Claims

1. An assistance process for managing on a refueling aircraft an air meeting phase with a receiving aircraft, for an in-flight refueling of said receiving aircraft by said refueling aircraft, said refueling and receiving aircrafts flying one towards the other, comprising, on said refuelling aircraft:

a) generating, by a processor, a plurality of parameters comprising at least;

a current velocity of the refueling aircraft;

a current altitude of the refueling aircraft;

a current velocity of the receiving aircraft;

a current altitude of the receiving aircraft;

a turn characteristic of the refueling aircraft;

a turning time taking into account the performance of the refueling aircraft; and

a separation distance of the two aircrafts at the end of the meeting phase;

b) using said parameters to automatically calculate, by a processor, at least one engagement distance corresponding to the distance between the two aircrafts at which the meeting phase should be initiated,

wherein for a B type procedure, the engagement distance is calculated using the equation;

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein, for a meeting phase corresponding to one of the following procedures:

a B type procedure and a C type procedure, there is generated in step a), as a turn characteristic, the constant value of the turn angle, to be implemented by the refueling aircraft at the start of the meeting phase.

3. A process according to claim 1,wherein, for a meeting phase corresponding to a D type procedure:

in step a), one of the following turns is selected;

a constant radius turn and a constant roll angle turn; and

in addition, a lateral distance is determined between the respective trajectories of the refueling and receiving aircrafts, being parallel, said lateral distance being used for calculating said at least one engagement distance.

4. A process according to claim 3, wherein said lateral distance is automatically calculated, taking into account a drift generated by the wind.

5. An assistance method for an in-flight refueling of a receiving aircraft by a refueling aircraft, said refueling successively comprising a waiting phase for the refueling aircraft;

a meeting phase; and

a refueling phase, wherein, during said waiting phase, on the refueling aircraft, an assistance process for managing the meeting phase is used to manage the meeting phase, the assistance process comprising;

a) generating, by a processor, a plurality of parameters comprising at least;

a current velocity of the refueling aircraft;

a current altitude of the refueling aircraft;

a current velocity of the receiving aircraft;

a current altitude of the receiving aircraft;

a turn characteristic of the refueling aircraft;

a turning time taking into account the performance of the refueling aircraft; and

a separation distance of the two aircrafts at the end of the meeting phase;

b) using said parameters to automatically calculate, by a processor, at least one engagement distance corresponding to the distance between the two aircrafts at which the meeting phase should be initiated,

wherein for a B type procedure, the engagement distance is calculated using the equation;

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein an operator of said refueling aircraft creates independently two flight circuits, namely a waiting circuit intended to be followed by the refueling aircraft during the waiting phase and a refueling circuit intended to be followed by said refueling aircraft during the refueling phase.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein on the refueling aircraft, one of said two flight circuits is integrated into the flight plan as an active element of the flight plan, and the other circuit is integrated into the flight plan as an inactive element of the flight plan.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein a flight circuit is automatically integrated into the flight plan.

9. An assistance device for managing on a refueling aircraft an air meeting phase with a receiving aircraft, for an in-flight refueling of said receiving aircraft by said refueling aircraft, said refueling and receiving aircrafts flying one towards the other, wherein said device is on board said refueling aircraft said device comprising:

parameter generator adapted to generate

a plurality of parameters comprising at least;

a current velocity of the refueling aircraft;

a current altitude of the refueling aircraft;

a current velocity of the receiving aircraft;

a current altitude of the receiving aircraft;

a turn characteristic of the refueling aircraft;

a turning time taking into account the performance of the refueling aircraft; and

a separation distance of the two aircrafts at the end of the meeting phase;

calculator adapted to automatically calculate, through said parameters, at least one engagement distance corresponding to the distance between the two aircrafts at which the meeting phase should be initiated,

wherein for a B type procedure, the engagement distance is calculated using the equation;

10. An assistance device according to claim 9, wherein for a meeting phase corresponding to one of the following procedures:

a B type procedure and a C type procedure, there is generated, as a turn characteristic, the constant value of the turn angle, to be implemented by the refueling aircraft at the start of the meeting phase.

11. An assistance device according to claim 9, wherein, for a meeting phase corresponding to a D type procedure:

one of the following turns is selected;

a constant radius turn and a constant roll angle turn; and

in addition, a lateral distance is determined between the respective trajectories of the refueling and receiving aircrafts, being parallel, said lateral distance being used for calculating said at least one engagement distance.

12. An assistance device according to claim 11, wherein said lateral distance is automatically calculated, taking into account a drift generated by the wind.

13. An assistance system for an in-flight refueling of a receiving aircraft by a refueling aircraft,

wherein said refueling successively comprises a waiting phase for the refueling aircraft;

a meeting phase; and

a refueling phase,

the assistance system comprising;

an assistance device for managing the meeting phase, the assistance device comprising;

a parameter generator adapted to generate a plurality of parameters comprising at least;

a current velocity of the refueling aircraft;

a current altitude of the refueling aircraft;

a current velocity of the receiving aircraft;

a current altitude of the receiving aircraft;

a turn characteristic of the refueling aircraft;

a turning time taking into account the performance of the refueling aircraft; and

a separation distance of the two aircrafts at the end of the meeting phase;

a calculator adapted to automatically calculate, through said parameters, at least one engagement distance corresponding to the distance between the two aircrafts at which the meeting phase should be initiated,

wherein for a B type procedure, the engagement distance is calculated using the equation;

14. An assistance process for managing on a refueling aircraft an air meeting phase with a receiving aircraft, for an in-flight refueling of said receiving aircraft by said refueling aircraft, said refueling and receiving aircrafts flying one towards the other, the assistance process comprising, on said refuelling aircraft:

a) generating, by a processor, a plurality of parameters comprising at least;

a current velocity of the refueling aircraft;

a current altitude of the refueling aircraft;

a current velocity of the receiving aircraft;

a current altitude of the receiving aircraft;

a turn characteristic of the refueling aircraft;

a turning time taking into account the performance of the refueling aircraft; and

a separation distance of the two aircrafts at the end of the meeting phase;

b) using said parameters to automatically calculate, by a processor, at least one engagement distance corresponding to the distance between the two aircrafts at which the meeting phase should be initiated,

wherein for a B type procedure, the engagement distance is calculated using the equation;