Emergency descent intervention system

• US 8,504,222 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: George W. Braly, Timothy Roehl
• Original Assignee: George W. Braly, Timothy Roehl
• Inventors: Braly, George W., Roehl, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Edwards, Jerrah
• Application Number:
  US12/880,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20110224849A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/4, 701/5, 701/9
• US Class Current: 701/4
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0015 Devices specially adapted for the protection against criminal attack, e.g. anti-hijacking systems
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 45/0031 means for overriding or restricting access to flight controls
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0061 for transition from automatic pilot to manual pilot and vice versa

Abstract

An emergency descent system for turbocharged piston engine powered aircraft. The flight management system is configured to challenge the pilot after a period of inactivity. Acknowledgment from the pilot resets the timer for subsequent challenge. Lack of timely pilot response sets off an alarm sequence. Lack of response to the alarm sequence sets off emergency descent by way of control by the flight management system of rate of descent, heading, ground track, and engine power by adjustment to the wastegate to the turbocharger. The control by the flight management system may incorporate direct control of the aircraft airspeed in the descent, and that may be enhanced by engine power adjustments. Upon reaching a selected target altitude, the aircraft engine power may be restored via the adjustment of the wastegate controller. At any time, when the pilot regains useful consciousness, the entire emergency descent sequence may be interrupted and normal control restored by the pilot. Additionally, the system may be configured to reset the aircraft transponder to an alarm code, in the event that the emergency descent sequence is initiated.

Claims

1. An emergency descent intervention system, comprising:

an aircraft having a piston engine with an exhaust gas driven turbocharger having a turbocharger inlet, the piston engine having an exhaust gas manifold, and an exhaust bypass outlet, said exhaust gas manifold (a) fluidly connected to said turbocharger inlet and to said exhaust gas bypass outlet, and (b) having an exhaust gas bypass valve, said exhaust bypass valve configured to regulate the flow of exhaust gas to said exhaust gas bypass outlet and to said turbocharger inlet;

a flight management system, said flight management system having a visual display and providing aircraft directional control signals in accordance with programmed directional instructions, and aircraft altitude control signals in accordance with programmed altitude instructions;

a pilot challenge system and an alarm system, said pilot challenge system and said alarm system both integrated with said flight management system, said emergency descent intervention system configured to determine (1) a first latency period for pilot interrogation, and (2) a second latency period for alarm activation;

a reset system to reset the pilot challenge system when a response is received during the first latency period or during the second latency period;

a descent activation system that determines a target altitude and overrides said flight management system programmed altitude instructions, controls descent to said target altitude, and when said aircraft reaches said target altitude, maintains said target altitude;

an actuator for said exhaust gas bypass valve, said actuator controllable via said flight management system to regulate inlet air to, and power output from said piston engine, to enable said aircraft to descent to, and maintain, said target altitude.

2. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said alarm system comprises an emergency descent intervention control display in said flight management system display.

3. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said emergency descent intervention system comprises an emergency descent program, said emergency descent program configured to calculate a selected descent airspeed for said aircraft, said emergency descent intervention system reprogramming said flight management system to control said aircraft to said selected descent airspeed.

4. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 3, wherein said emergency descent program is configured to calculate a selected descent rate said emergency descent intervention system reprogramming said flight management system to control said aircraft to said selected descent rate.

5. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said emergency descent intervention system further comprises an oxygen saturation sensor and an oxygen saturation level alarm, said oxygen saturation level alarm configured to activate said pilot challenge system and reset system when oxygen saturation level of a pilot falls below a selected oxygen saturation level.

6. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said emergency descent intervention system further comprises an oxygen saturation sensor and an oxygen saturation level alarm, said oxygen saturation level alarm configured to activate said pilot challenge system and reset system when the oxygen saturation level of a crew member falls below a selected oxygen saturation level.

7. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 5 or in claim 6, wherein said lack of response during said second latency period activates said descent activation system.

8. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said emergency descent intervention system further comprises a transponder reset subroutine, said transponder reset subroutine configured to change an aircraft transponder code squawked by said aircraft upon activation of said descent activation system.

9. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said flight management system further comprises an acknowledgment input receiver.

10. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said acknowledgment input receiver comprises a touch sensitive input zone on said visual display.

11. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first latency period for pilot interrogation is calculated by said flight management system based upon a then current operating flight level of said aircraft.

12. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said emergency descent program further comprises an aircraft emergency track subroutine, said subroutine configured to calculate a suitable aircraft ground track, to reprogram said flight management system to intercept said suitable aircraft ground track, and upon interception, maintain said suitable aircraft ground track.

13. The emergency descent management system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said emergency descent intervention system overrides said flight management system to implement intersection and tracking of said selected suitable aircraft ground track.

14. The emergency descent management system as set forth in claim 12, or in claim 13, wherein said suitable aircraft ground track comprises a holding pattern.

15. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 14, wherein said holding pattern is selected from a set of holding patterns provided by said flight management system.

16. The emergency descent intervention program as set forth in claim 1, wherein said emergency descent intervention program, after start of said emergency descent system, is manually disengageable.

17. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising an electronic control unit and an electric stepper motor, and wherein said exhaust bypass valve is operated by said electric stepper motor, and wherein electronic control unit is controlled by said emergency descent intervention program, thereby controlling the position of said exhaust gas bypass valve.

18. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 17, wherein said electronic control unit further comprises a density controller.

19. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a pneumatic hydro-mechanical control system, and wherein said exhaust bypass valve is operated by a wastegate actuator, thereby at least partially controlling power output from said piston engine.

20. An emergency descent intervention system, comprising:

an aircraft having a piston engine with an exhaust gas driven turbocharger with a turbocharger inlet, the piston engine having an exhaust gas manifold, said exhaust gas manifold fluidly connected to said turbo charger inlet and to an exhaust gas bypass outlet, and having an exhaust gas bypass valve, the exhaust bypass valve configured to regulate the flow of exhaust gas to said exhaust gas bypass and to said turbocharger inlet,

said aircraft having flight management system, said flight management system having a visual display and providing aircraft directional control signals in accordance with programmed directional instructions, and altitude control signals in accordance with programmed altitude instructions,

said aircraft comprising an emergency parachute system, said emergency parachute system having a maximum deployment airspeed,

said emergency descent intervention system comprising;

a pilot challenge and an alarm system, said pilot challenge and said master alarm system both integrated with said flight management system, said pilot challenge system configured to determine a first latency period for pilot interrogation, and configured to determine a second latency period for pilot response to activation of said alarm system, said emergency descent intervention system configured to activate said alarm system when a response is not received by expiry of said first latency period, and configured to initiate a descent sequence when a response is not received by the expiry of said second latency period,

said emergency descent intervention system configured, upon expiry of said second latency period, to

(1) determine, or complete determination of, or accept prior calculation of a target altitude, and override the then current flight management system programmed altitude instructions,

(2) start descent of said aircraft to said target altitude, and when said target altitude is reached, maintain said target altitude;

(3) control said exhaust gas bypass valve using an actuator, said actuator controllable via said flight management system to regulate inlet air to, and power output from said piston engine, to enable said flight management system to direct the aircraft to descent to, and maintain, said target altitude;

(4) calculate a selected descent rate and selected descent airspeed for said aircraft, selected descent airspeed at or below said maximum deployment airspeed of said emergency parachute system, said emergency descent intervention system reprogramming said flight management system, and thereby controlling said aircraft with respect to said selected descent rate and said selected descent airspeed.

21. The emergency descent intervention system as set forth in claim 20, wherein said alarm system comprises an emergency descent intervention interface in said flight management system display.

22. A turbocharged piston engine aircraft, comprising:

a piston engine with an exhaust gas driven turbocharger having a turbocharger inlet, the piston engine having an exhaust gas manifold, said exhaust gas manifold (a) fluidly connected to said turbocharger inlet and to an exhaust gas bypass outlet, and (b) having an exhaust gas bypass valve, said exhaust bypass valve configured to regulate the flow of exhaust gas to said exhaust gas bypass outlet and to said turbocharger inlet,

a flight management system, said flight management system having a visual display and providing aircraft directional control signals in accordance with programmed directional instructions, and altitude control signals in accordance with programmed altitude instructions,

an emergency descent intervention system, said emergency descent intervention system comprising;

(a) a pilot challenge system and an alarm system, said pilot challenge system and said alarm system both integrated with said flight management system, said emergency descent intervention system configured to determine (1) a first latency period for pilot interrogation, and (2) a second latency period for alarm activation;

(b) a reset system to reset the pilot challenge system when a response is received during the first latency period or during the second latency period;

(c) a descent activation system that determines a target altitude and overrides said flight management system programmed altitude, controls descent to said target altitude, and when said aircraft reaches said target altitude, maintains said target altitude;

(d) an actuator for said exhaust gas bypass valve, said actuator controllable via said flight management system to regulate inlet air to, and power output from said piston engine, to enable said aircraft to descent to, and maintain, said target altitude.

23. The aircraft as set forth in claim 22, wherein said alarm system comprises an emergency descent intervention control display in said flight management system display.

24. The aircraft as set forth in claim 22, wherein said emergency descent intervention system comprises an emergency descent program, said emergency descent program configured to calculate a selected descent airspeed for said aircraft, said emergency descent intervention system reprogramming said flight management system to control said aircraft to said selected descent airspeed.

25. The aircraft as set forth in claim 24, wherein said aircraft further comprises a ballistic recovery emergency parachute system, said ballistic recovery emergency parachute system having a maximum deployment airspeed, and wherein said selected descent airspeed is at or below said maximum deployment airspeed.

26. The aircraft as set forth in claim 24, or in claim 25, wherein said emergency descent program is configured to calculate a selected descent rate said emergency descent intervention system reprogramming said flight management system to control said aircraft to said selected descent rate.

27. The aircraft as set forth in claim 22, wherein said emergency descent intervention system further comprises an oxygen saturation sensor and an oxygen saturation level alarm, said oxygen saturation level alarm configured to activate said pilot challenge system and reset system when oxygen saturation level of a pilot falls below a selected oxygen saturation level.