METHOD FOR FLYING AT LEAST TWO AIRCRAFT

• US 20190004544A1
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Published: 01/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2017
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Original Assignee: GE Aviation Systems LLC (GE Aerospace)
• Inventors: Feldmann, Michael Steven, Routson, Gregory Scott
• Application Number:
  US15/637,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20190004544A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 19/00 Aircraft control not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/102 adapted for flying in formations
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/104 involving a plurality of aircrafts, e.g. formation flying traffic control systems for aircraft G08G5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0021 located in the aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0052 for cruising combined instruments indicating more than one navigational value G01C23/00
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0091 for monitoring atmospheric conditions radar or analogous systems specially adapted for meteorological use G01S13/95; meteorology G01W
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction

Abstract

Methods for flying at least two aircraft in a predetermined formation include emitting from one of the aircraft a relative navigation grid, calculating a spatial relationship, by a controller module, between the at least two aircraft, determining, by the controller module if the spatial relationship conforms with the predetermined formation, and altering a relative position of at least one aircraft when the spatial relationship does not conform with the predetermined formation.

Claims

1. A method of flying at least two aircraft, the method comprising:

emitting from one of the at least two aircraft a relative navigation grid to define an emitted relative navigation grid;

calculating a spatial relationship, by a controller module, between the at least two aircraft based on the emitted relative navigation grid;

determining, by the controller module, if the spatial relationship conforms with a predetermined formation; and

altering a relative position of at least one aircraft to position the at least two aircraft in the predetermined formation when the spatial relationship does not conform with the predetermined formation;

wherein the predetermined formation positions one of the at least two aircraft within a wingtip vortex created by another of the at least two aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined formation positions the one of the at least two aircraft within at least a portion of the wingtip vortex generating lift on the one of the at least two aircraft.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein emitting includes emitting, from a leading aircraft, the relative navigation grid.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein altering the relative position includes altering the relative position of a trailing aircraft, relative to the leading aircraft.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising, receiving, in the trailing aircraft, the emitted relative navigation grid prior to calculating the spatial relationship.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the receiving includes receiving, in at least two detectors of the trailing aircraft, the emitted relative navigation grid, and the calculating includes calculating at least one of a heading or a trajectory for at least one of the aircraft.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the calculating includes calculating at least one of a relative distance between the trailing aircraft and the leading aircraft, an aircraft type of the leading aircraft, or an aircraft weight of the leading aircraft.

8. The method of claim 3 wherein the emitting includes emitting from a set of leading aircraft a set of relative navigation grids.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the altering includes altering a relative position of one of the at least two aircraft by way of an autopilot system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the emitting, calculating, determining, and altering to maintain the aircraft in the predetermined formation.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the emitting further comprises emitting the relative navigation grid in a direction where an aircraft should be in the predetermined formation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the direction is at least one of forward and rearward along a direction of travel of an emitting aircraft.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the emitting further comprises emitting the relative navigation grid in at least a sector of a hemisphere relative to an emitting aircraft.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the emitting further comprises emitting the relative navigation grid from multiple locations on an emitting aircraft.

15. A method of flying multiple aircraft, the method comprising:

emitting from a leading aircraft a relative navigation grid;

obtaining, by a trailing aircraft, a signal from the relative navigation grid;

calculating, by a controller module of the trailing aircraft, a spatial relationship between the leading aircraft and the trailing aircraft based on the signal from the relative navigation grid;

determining, by the controller module, if the spatial relationship conforms with a predetermined formation; and

altering a relative position of at least one of the leading aircraft or the trailing aircraft to position the trailing aircraft within a wingtip vortex created by the leading aircraft according to the predetermined formation.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the predetermined formation positions the trailing aircraft within at least a portion of the wingtip vortex generating lift on the trailing aircraft.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the calculating includes calculating the spatial relationship based on at least one of a relative distance between the trailing aircraft and the leading aircraft, an aircraft type of the leading aircraft, or an aircraft weight of the leading aircraft.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the altering includes altering a relative position of the at least one of the leading aircraft or trailing aircraft by way of an autopilot system.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein calculating and determining by the controller module occur in a closed-loop control system.

20. A method of flying multiple aircraft, the method comprising:

emitting from a leading aircraft a relative navigation grid;

obtaining, by a trailing aircraft, a signal from the relative navigation grid;

calculating, by a controller module of the trailing aircraft, a spatial relationship between the leading aircraft and the trailing aircraft based on the signal from the relative navigation grid;

determining, by the controller module, if the spatial relationship conforms with a predetermined formation; and

maintaining a relative position of at least one of the leading aircraft or the trailing aircraft to position the trailing aircraft within a wingtip vortex created by the leading aircraft according to the predetermined formation.