Device and process for determining a runway state, aircraft including such a device and piloting assistance system using said runway state

• US 9,299,261 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Original Assignee: Airbus Operations (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company EADS NV)
• Inventors: Jones, Logan
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, John R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Gerrad A
• Application Number:
  US13/562,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20140012437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,337 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/12 Friction
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 2210/13 Aquaplaning, hydroplaning
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/1703 for aircrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B60T 8/172 Determining control parameters used in the regulation, e.g. by calculations involving measured or detected parameters B60T8/17551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/42 Arrangement or adaptation of brakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0086 for monitoring terrain radar or analogous systems specially adapted for terrain avoidance G01S13/935
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/06 for control when on the ground
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/065 Navigation or guidance aids, e.g. for taxiing or rolling

Abstract

This invention relates to a device and process for determining an airport runway state (12), as well as for using such data. The process includes: acquisition (A1) of measurement data pertaining to at least one physical size of an aircraft (10), during the take off or landing roll phase of the aircraft on said runway; obtaining (A2), using the data acquired, a plurality of estimated adhesion values “μ” of the runway, corresponding to a respective plurality of taxiing moments of the aircraft; obtaining (A3), using the data acquired, a slip ratio value “s” of at least one of the aircraft'"'"'s wheels for each said taxiing moment, so as to obtain (A4) a plurality of coupled data points [s,μ]; and determination of a runway state by comparing (A5.2) the coupled data points [s,μ] profile with at least one predetermined profile.

Claims

1. A method for determining a state of a runway including the following steps:

acquiring, using at least one measurement system, measurement data relating to at least one physical parameter of an aircraft, during an aircraft roll during takeoff or landing on the runway;

obtaining, using the acquired data, a plurality of estimated adhesion values (μ

) of the runway, corresponding to moments during the aircraft roll;

obtaining, using the acquired data, a slip ratio value(s) of at least one aircraft wheel for each of the moments during the aircraft roll, wherein the at least one wheel includes at least one tire;

computing coupled data points comprising the adhesion values (μ

) and the slip ratio values (s) for each of the moments during the aircraft roll;

determining a runway state by comparing the coupled data points with predetermined profiles, and selecting one of the predetermined profiles which corresponds to the coupled data points, wherein the selected predetermined profile indicates the runway state;

displaying, on a display in a cockpit of the aircraft for pilot validation, the determined state of the runway; and

communicating, via a communication device, the state of the runway outside of the aircraft to at least one of an airport ground station and one or more other aircraft for use by the one or more other aircraft for control when taking off or landing on the runway; and

wherein the determination of the runway state by comparison includes calculating slope values (k) representative of the coupled data points for a plurality of adhesion (p) values; and

selecting from among a set of zones of slope values (k) and corresponding adhesion values (p), wherein each zone is associated with a different runway state, and the selected predetermined profile corresponds to the zone including the calculated slope values (k) for the plurality of adhesion (p) values.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the determination of the runway state by comparison includes selecting, from among a set of predetermined profiles each associated with a different runway state, the predetermined profile that most resembles a profile of the coupled data points.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least one mechanical stiffness pertaining to the at least one tire of the aircraft wheel is calculated using measurement data acquired during the aircraft roll, and the predetermined zones are defined using the at least one predetermined profile, which varies according to the calculated mechanical stiffness.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined profile is a parametric profile, and the determination of the runway state by comparison includes adjusting of the parametric profile to correspond with the coupled data points and the adjusted parametric profile is compared to the at least one predetermined profile.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined profile is in the form of a function f(s, μ

k, μ

s, a, Fz, cp) where, at the corresponding moments of aircraft roll, μ

k is a dynamic adhesion coefficient, μ

s is a static adhesion coefficient, a represents the contact area between the at least one tire and the runway, Fz is a vertical load applied to the axis of the wheel and cp is a mechanical stiffness value pertaining to the at least one tire.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the slip ratio value (s) at a moment of taxiing is obtained by calculating the following ratio:

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said determination of the runway state by comparison is repeated over several sets of coupled data points, where the sets correspond to distinct taxiing phases of the aircraft roll.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the at least one predetermined profile includes predetermined profiles corresponding to different determined runway states and different portions of the runway.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one measurement system is a plurality of measurement systems including an Air Data Inertial Reference System providing aircraft ground speed, position, acceleration and temperature measurements, a Flight Management System, physical tire size estimation equipment providing internal tire temperature and internal tire pressure, and a Global Positioning System module providing position of the aircraft.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communicating device is radio or an Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System.

11. An apparatus for determining a state of a landing runway, including:

at least one measurement system that acquires measurement data pertaining to at least one physical parameter of an aircraft, the measurement data corresponding to a plurality of moments during an aircraft roll on takeoff or landing of the aircraft on the runway;

a calculator that obtains, using the acquired data, a plurality of estimated adhesion values (μ

) of the runway for each of the moments of the aircraft roll;

a calculator that obtains, using the acquired data, a slip ratio value (s) of at least one aircraft wheel, the wheel including a tire, for each of the moments of roll, and that calculates from (s) and (μ

) a plurality of coupled data points;

a determination module configured to determine the state of the runway by comparing the coupled data points to at least one predetermined profile;

and

a communication device that communicates the state of the runway outside of the aircraft to at least one of an airport ground station and one or more other aircraft for use by the one or more other aircraft for control when taking off or landing on the runway; and

wherein the determination module is configured to obtain a plurality of slope values (k) of the coupled data points profile for a plurality of adhesion (μ

) values; and

to determine, from among a set of zones of slope values (k) and corresponding adhesion (μ

) values the one zone of the set of zones which includes a slope value (k) and corresponding adhesion (μ

) values representative of the calculated coupled data points, wherein each set is associated with a different runway state.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the determination module is configured to select, from among a set of predetermined profiles wherein each predetermined profile is associated with a different runway state, one of said set of predetermined profiles that most resembles a profile of the coupled data points.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the predetermined profile is a parametric profile, and the determination module is configured to adjust the parametric profile to conform to the calculated coupled data points and to determine the runway state from at least one characteristic value of the adjusted parametric profile.

14. An aircraft including at least one apparatus for determining a runway state according to claim 11.

15. An aircraft piloting assistance system, including at least one apparatus according to claim 11 on board said aircraft, and one ground station configured to receive an information item about a runway state determined by said system and able to transmit said information item about the runway state to at least one other aircraft in an approach phase.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the at least one measurement system is a plurality of measurement systems including an Air Data Inertial Reference System providing aircraft ground speed, position, acceleration and temperature measurements, a Flight Management System, physical tire size estimation equipment providing internal tire temperature and internal tire pressure, and a Global Positioning System module providing position of the aircraft.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the communicating device is radio or an Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System.

18. A method to determine a state of a runway comprising:

acquiring, using at least one measurement system, measurement data representative of a physical parameter of an aircraft for a series of moments during an aircraft roll phase on the runway;

calculating an adhesion (μ

) value of at least one of the wheels of the aircraft to the runway at each of the series of moments, wherein the calculation uses the measured data;

calculating a slip ratio value (s) representing slippage between the at least one of the wheels and the runway at each of the series of moments, wherein the calculation uses the measured data;

calculating a coupled data point for each of the series of moments, wherein each coupled data point includes the adhesion (μ

) value and the slip ratio (s) value for the corresponding moment;

determining a slope value (k) for a group of the coupled data points, wherein the group consists of coupled data points having a slip ratio value (s) no greater than a slip ratio value (s) for the coupled data point having a maximum adhesion (μ

) value;

selecting a runway state profile from a group of runway state profiles based on the determined slope value (k),

determining the runway state based on the selected runway state profile

displaying, on a display in a cockpit of the aircraft for pilot validation, the determined state of the runway; and

communicating, via a communication device, the state of the runway outside of the aircraft to at least one of an airport ground station and one or more other aircraft for use by the one or more other aircraft for control when taking off or landing on the runway.

19. The method to determine a state of a runway of claim 18 wherein the selection of the runway state profile includes matching the determined slope value (k) to slope values (k) for each of the runway state profiles, and selecting the runway state profile having the slope value (k) nearest and smaller than the determined slope value (k).

20. The method to determine a state of a runway of claim 18 wherein the runway state profiles are each characterized by a zone of slope values (k) and corresponding adhesion (μ

) values and the selection of the runway state profile includes identifying the zone which includes the determined slope value (k) and corresponding adhesion (μ

) values for the coupled data points.

21. The method according to claim 18, wherein the at least one measurement system is a plurality of measurement systems including an Air Data Inertial Reference System providing aircraft ground speed, position, acceleration and temperature measurements, a Flight Management System, physical tire size estimation equipment providing internal tire temperature and internal tire pressure, and a Global Positioning System module providing position of the aircraft.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein the communicating device is radio or an Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System.