Fuel consumption data tracking/collection and aircraft/route optimization

• US 7,606,641 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2005
• Issued: 10/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Original Assignee: The Boeing Co.
• Inventors: Allen, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hellner; Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Algahaim; Helal A
• Application Number:
  US11/197,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 701/3, 701/123
• US Class Current: 701/3
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 23/005 Flight directors indicating arrangements specially adapted for rotary gyroscopes G01C19/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• CPC Class Codes: G08G 5/0013 with a ground station

Abstract

An automated system tracks and records factors that affect fuel consumption. Configuration factors such as the actual engine(s) used in the airplane, weight, weight distribution, engine pressure, engine rotation speeds, etc.; environmental factors such as wind speed and direction, temperature, altitude and air pressure, etc.; and flight path factors such as actual route flown, distance flown, take-off/landing requirements for the airports, etc. are tracked and recorded. The resulting data is used to “normalize” the fuel efficiency of each airplane and engine. Normalized data for an airline'"'"'s fleet of airplanes and engines are used to find optimal airplane/engine combinations for the routes serviced by the airline. The collected data itself can be sent from the aircraft during flight or, a notification message can be sent from the aircraft to the airline computer system to have the collected data downloaded from the airplane at the next landing.

Claims

1. A method for assigning aircraft to routes, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, fuel consumption data for each aircraft of a fleet of aircraft, the fuel consumption data obtained during flights of the fleet of aircraft;

receiving, at the computer system, fuel consumption data for each aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft, the fuel consumption data obtained during flights associated with the individual aircraft engines;

normalizing, with the computer system, the aircraft and aircraft engine fuel consumption data based on environmental factors experienced by the aircraft and the aircraft engines during the flights when the fuel consumption data was obtained;

determining, with the computer system, a fuel efficiency for each aircraft and aircraft engine using the normalized fuel consumption data;

receiving, at the computer system, information related to routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft; and

determining, utilizing the computer system, an assignment of aircraft and engine combinations to the routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft based on the determined fuel efficiency for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the information related to fuel consumption data and experienced environmental factors for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft is updated with snapshots of sensor data obtained during flights of the fleet of aircraft.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the snapshots are transmitted to a computer system for processing during flights of the aircraft of the fleet of aircraft.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the snapshots are transmitted to a computer system for processing after each aircraft of the fleet of aircraft has landed after a flight.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the information related to fuel efficiency for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft is received at the computer system via electronic flight bags.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein an automated system is used to obtain the fuel consumption data for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a portal service is used to:

receive and process the fuel consumption data for each aircraft and aircraft engine, receive information related to routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft, and to determine the assignment of aircraft and aircraft engines to the routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft.

8. One or more computer-readable media having thereon instructions that when executed by a computer implement the method of claim 1.

9. A system for assigning aircraft to routes, the system comprising:

means for receiving fuel consumption data for each aircraft and aircraft engine of a fleet of aircraft;

means for normalizing the aircraft and aircraft engine fuel consumption data based on environmental factors experienced y the aircraft and the aircraft engines during the aircraft flights when the fuel consumption data was obtained;

means for determining a fuel efficiency for each aircraft and aircraft engine using the normalized fuel consumption data;

means for receiving information related to routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft; and

means for determining an assignment of aircraft and engine combinations to the routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft based on the determined fuel efficiency for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft, and the received information relating to routes to be serviced by the fleet of aircraft.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the information related to fuel efficiency for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft is updated with snapshots of sensor data obtained during flights of the aircraft of the fleet of aircraft.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the snapshots are transmitted to a computer system during flights of the aircraft of the fleet of aircraft.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the snapshots are transmitted to a computer system after each aircraft of the fleet of aircraft has landed after a flight.

13. The system of claim 9 wherein the fuel consumption data for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft is received via electronic flight bags.

14. The system of claim 9 further comprising automated means for obtaining the fuel consumption data for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft.

15. A system for assigning aircraft to routes, the system comprising:

a fleet of aircraft each including;

a fuel efficiency data manager to obtain information related to fuel consumption for the aircraft and at least one aircraft engine installed on the aircraft, and

at least one wireless communication unit, coupled to the fuel efficiency data manager, to selectively transmit information related to fuel consumption for the aircraft and the at least one aircraft engine and transmit information related to environmental factors experienced by the aircraft and the at least one aircraft engine; and

a computer system communicatively coupled to the fleet of aircraft, the computer system including;

a datastore of information related to fuel consumption of each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft and information related to routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft, the datastore embodied on a computer readable medium; and

an optimizer component to normalize the aircraft and aircraft engine fuel consumption data based on the environmental factors received by said at least one wireless communication unit and to determine an assignment of aircraft and engine combinations to the routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft based on the normalized fuel consumption data.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the fuel efficiency data manager is to obtain snapshots of sensor data during each flight of the aircraft to obtain information related to fuel consumption for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the fuel efficiency data manager selectively causes the snapshots to be transmitted to a computer system for processing during flights of the aircraft of the fleet of aircraft.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the fuel efficiency data manager selectively causes a notification to be sent to the computer system to initiate a download of the fuel consumption information for processing after the aircraft has landed after a flight.

19. The system of claim 15 wherein the fuel efficiency data manager is hosted by an electronic flight bag of the aircraft.

20. The system of claim 15 wherein the computer system provides a portal service subscribed to by an operator of the fleet of aircraft.