Determining enhanced operating state for aircraft

• US 9,745,052 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Issued: 08/29/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Lax, David Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): PAIGE, TYLER D
• Application Number:
  US14/927,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20170121011A1
• Time in Patent Office: 669 Days
• Field of Search: 701 4, 700 29
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0005 with arrangements to save energy
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/042 specially adapted for aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/40 Business processes related to the transportation industry shipping G06Q10/083

Abstract

Systems and methods for determining an operating state for an aircraft are provided. In one example, a method can include accessing, by one or more computing devices located on an aircraft, a database of precomputed operating parameters associated with aircraft trim determined in a priori process. The method can further include receiving a real time measurement of one or more dyanamic parameters associated with the aircraft. An aircraft trim parameter can be determined from the precomputed operating parameters independent of the real time measurements. The method can further include determining an enhanced operating state for the aircraft based at least in part on the aircraft trim parameter and the real time measurement of the one or more dynamic operating parameters.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of determining an operating state for an aircraft, the method comprising:

A) accessing, by one or more computing devices located on an aircraft, a database of precomputed operating parameters associated with aircraft trim, the precomputed operating parameters determined without real time measurements;

B) receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a real time measurement of one or more dynamic operating parameters associated with the aircraft flying at a current operating state having a current cost parameter;

C) determining, by the one or more computing devices, an aircraft trim operating parameter from the precomputed operating parameters based on data indicative of a candidate operating point of the aircraft, the aircraft trim operating parameter determined independent of the real time measurement of the one or more dynamic parameters;

D) determining, by the one or more computing devices, a candidate enhanced operating state for the aircraft during flight of the aircraft having a cost parameter determined by at least the aircraft trim operating parameter and the real time measurement of the one or more dynamic operating parameters;

E) comparing the cost parameter for the candidate enhanced operating state with the current cost parameter of the current operating state; and

F) when the cost parameter for the candidate enhanced operating state is reduced compared with the current cost parameter, operating the aircraft in accordance with the candidate enhanced operating state for the control of the aircraft, and when the cost parameter for the candidate enhanced operating state is not reduced compared with the current cost parameter, iterating through steps C)-F) with a new candidate operating point of the aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the precomputed operating parameters comprise required thrusts to operate the aircraft at one or more candidate operating points.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the required thrusts are tabulated in a lookup table or defined as a function of the current operating state.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the aircraft trim operating parameter comprises a required thrust for operating the aircraft at the candidate operating point.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data indicative of the candidate operating point comprises data indicative of an altitude, weight, ambient temperature, or speed associated with the aircraft.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining, by the one or more computing devices, the candidate enhanced operating state for the aircraft comprises:

accessing, by the one or more computing devices, a model correlating a performance attribute associated with the aircraft with the aircraft trim operating parameter and the one or more dynamic operating parameters; and

determining, by the one or more computing devices, the candidate enhanced operating state that reduces the cost parameter determined based on the performance attribute associated with the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the performance attribute comprises data indicative of fuel flow associated with the aircraft.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the model comprises an engine model correlating a required thrust determined by an aircraft trim solver and one or more dynamic parameters with fuel flow for the aircraft.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more measured dynamic parameters comprise one or more of a throttle setting, current fuel flow, flight path data, engine health data, atmospheric data, or engine mode data.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the candidate enhanced operating state comprises one or more operating state variables, the operating state variables comprising a speed or altitude of the aircraft.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising provided the candidate enhanced operating state for display on one or more display devices.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein operating the aircraft comprises controlling the aircraft with a flight control computer in accordance with the operating state.

13. An avionics system for determining an operating state for an aircraft, the avionics system comprising:

one or more processors and one or more memory devices located on an aircraft, the one or more memory devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations comprising;

accessing a database of precomputed operating parameters associated with aircraft trim, the precomputed operating parameters determined without real time measurements;

receiving real time measurement of one or more dynamic operating parameters associated with the aircraft flying at a current operating state;

determining an aircraft trim operating parameter associated with aircraft trim from the precomputed operating parameters based on data indicative of a candidate operating point of the aircraft, the aircraft trim operating parameter determined independent of the real time measurement of the one or more second operating parameters;

determining a cost parameter based on the aircraft trim operating parameter, the candidate operating point of the aircraft, and the real time measurement of the one or more dynamic operating parameters; and

when the cost parameter is reduced compared with the operating state of the aircraft, automatically operating the aircraft in accordance with the aircraft trim operating parameter and the candidate operating point for control of the aircraft.

14. The avionics system of claim 13, wherein the precomputed operating parameters comprise required thrusts determined using an aircraft trim solver to operate the aircraft at one or more operating points of the aircraft.

15. The avionics system of claim 14, wherein the aircraft trim operating parameter comprises a required thrust for operating the aircraft at the candidate operating point.

16. The avionics system of claim 13, wherein the operation of determining the cost parameter comprises:

accessing a model correlating a performance attribute associated with the aircraft with the aircraft trim operating parameter and the one or more dynamic operating parameters; and

iterating through the determining an aircraft trim operating parameter to identify a candidate operating point that reduces the cost parameter determined based on the performance attribute associated with the aircraft.

17. A computer-implemented method of determining one or more operating state variables for an aircraft based one measured operating conditions, comprising:

accessing, by one or more computing devices located on an aircraft, a lookup table correlating required thrusts with operating points of the aircraft, the lookup table generated by an airframe trim solver without real time measurements;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a required thrust parameter associated with the aircraft based on data indicative of a candidate operating point of the aircraft, the data indicative of the candidate operating point comprising data indicative of at least one of an altitude, weight, ambient temperature, or speed associated with the aircraft;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices, data indicative of one or more measured operating parameters measured during a flight of the aircraft, the one or more measured operating parameters comprising at least one of a throttle setting, a current fuel flow, flight path data, or engine mode data;

determining, by the one or more computing devices, a candidate enhanced operating state for the aircraft having a cost parameter based at least in part on the required thrust parameter and the data indicative of one or more measured operating parameters; and

when the cost parameter for the candidate enhanced operating state for the aircraft is reduced compared with the flight of the aircraft operating the aircraft, by the one or more computing devices, in accordance with the candidate enhanced operating state.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining, by the one or more computing devices, the candidate enhanced operating state for the aircraft comprises:

accessing, by the one or more computing devices, an engine model correlating fuel flow associated with the aircraft with the required thrust parameter and measured operating parameters; and

determining, by the one or more computing devices, the candidate enhanced operating state that reduces the cost parameter determined based at least in part on the fuel flow.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the candidate enhanced operating state comprises one or more operating state variables, the operating state variables comprising at least one of a speed or an altitude of the aircraft.