Patent EP0236587A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0236587A2
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EP
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Time-responsive flight optimization system
Assignee: Boeing Co
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Filing: 1986-09-29
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-09-29
Abstract
Abstract An onboard flight management system produces cost-effective trajectory target signals in response to an input desired time of arrival. Aircraft monitoring systems produce signals corresponding to real-time aircraft parameters including fuel flow rate, airspeed, windspeed, thrust, drag and mass. Stored in memory are aircraft characteristics including time cost, fuel cost, and acceleration due to gravity. A flight computer responds to an input desired time-of-arrival and the real-time parameters and stored characteristics signals and produces cost-effective trajectory target signals. The computer employs multiply regressed drag and fuel flow models which avoid trajectory discontinuities and the trajectory targets are produced using a Fibonacci search technique, which is computationally very efficient.
Inventors
- 👤 Abhijit J.M. Chakravarty
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 21:20
CPC Classifications
G; G05; G05D; G05D1/00; G05D1/0005
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
84 words
I. An aircraft time-responsive trajectory optimization system comprising: monitor means for producing signals representative of predetermined real time aircraft parameters; memory means for producing signals representative of predetermined aircraft performance characteristics; input means for producing signals representative of a desired aircraft time and place of arrival; and processing means for processing the signals produced by said monitor means, memory means and input means and producing target aircraft trajectory and speed signals corresponding to an optimum cost effectiveness flight trajectory for arriving at said time.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
96 words
The trajectory optimization system of claim I wherein: said monitor means produces signals representative of fuel flow rate, f, airspeed, V, windspeed, V w , thrust, T, drag, D, and aircraft mass, m; said memory means produces signals representative of aircraft time cost, C t , fuel cost, C f , and the acceleration due to gravity, g; and said processing means produces aircraft thrust and airspeed target values which minimize the expression: where λ X , λ m and λ E are predeterminedly calculated signal values corresponding to range, mass and energy adjoint variables, respectively.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
49 words
The trajectory optimization system of claim 2 wherein said processing means includes means for producing optimal cruise target signals and said range adjoint variable, λ X , in accordance with: where h is a signal representative of aircraft altitude, said processing means thereby producing target altitude and airspeed signals.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
57 words
The trajectory optimization system of claim 3 wherein said processing means includes means for producing optimal aircraft climb target signals and said energy adjoint variable, λ E , in accordance with: wherein T max is a predetermined maximum thrust signal level produced by said memory means, said signal processing means thereby producing target airspeed and thrust signals.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
62 words
The trajectory optimization system of either claim 3 or claim 4 wherein said processing means includes means for producing optimal aircraft descent targets and said energy adjoint variable, λ E , in accordance with: wherein T m i n is a predetermined minimum thrust signal level produced by said memory means, said signal processing means thereby producing target airspeed and thrust signals.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The trajectory optimization system of any one of claims 2 through 4 wherein said processing means includes means for treating said λ m signal as having negligible value.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
23 words
The trajectory optimization system of claim 5 wherein said processing means includes means for treating said λ m signal as having negligible value.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
The trajectory optimization system of any one of claims 1 to 4 further comprising: aircraft steering system means responsive to said aircraft target signals to produce said optimum trajectory.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
24 words
The trajectory optimization system of claim 5 further comprising: aircraft steering system means responsive to said aircraft target signals to produce said optimum trajectory.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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