Method for Defining and Controlling Aircraft Taxi Profile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016122007-A1
Application number	US-201414531339-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 3, 2014
Priority date	Nov 3, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and method are provided for defining, optimizing, and controlling taxi profiles for aircraft equipped with onboard non-engine drive means controllable to drive one or more nose or main landing gear wheels to drive an aircraft autonomously during taxi. An onboard taxi profile control system may employ smart software to determine selected taxi operational data at an airport and use this data to control and maintain torque of the drive means at desired selected levels that move the aircraft during taxi in response to determined taxi data or predetermined programmed taxi parameters. The system is designed to set default taxi profiles for each taxi cycle to achieve efficient aircraft taxi and to extend operational life of drive means components. Taxi profiles are modified and updated at periodic intervals or in real time in response to actual taxi conditions to optimize aircraft taxi at a specific airport.

First claim

1 . An onboard system for defining and controlling aircraft taxi profiles comprising:
a. an aircraft equipped with one or more onboard non-engine drive means capable of generating operating torque and controllable to move the aircraft autonomously at taxi speeds during ground travel; b. onboard aircraft taxi profile generating means for generating an aircraft taxi profile designed to extend operational life of mechanical components connected to or operatively associated with said drive means; and c. taxi profile control means in operative communication with said one or more onboard drive means and said taxi profile generating means for controlling autonomous movement of the aircraft during ground travel at an airport in response to said aircraft taxi profile.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said one or more onboard drive means comprises one or more electric motors capable of driving a commercial size aircraft during ground travel selected from the group comprising high phase order electric motors, electric induction motors, permanent magnet brushless DC motors, and switched reluctance motors.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein said one or more motors is powered by an aircraft auxiliary power unit.

4 . The system of claim 2 , wherein said onboard drive means is controllable by said taxi profile control means to produce a selected level of torque in response to a generated aircraft taxi profile.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said taxi profile control means comprises torque control means for controlling optimum torque of said drive means corresponding to said aircraft taxi profile.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein said aircraft taxi profile generating means comprises a plurality of electronic maps of airports where said aircraft lands and takes off and each of said maps comprises a plurality of geographic coordinates corresponding to a plurality of ground locations at each said airport.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein said taxi profile generating means further comprises a taxi profile defining aircraft taxi parameters within each of said plurality of ground locations.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein said taxi profile comprises locations of all other aircraft and vehicles within each of said plurality of ground locations.

9 . The system of claim 2 , wherein said taxi profile control means comprises torque control means for controlling optimum torque of said motor in response to said aircraft taxi profile.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein said torque control means is adapted to selectively limit torque to said drive means in response to a generated taxi profile, thereby extending operational life of drive means components.

11 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising updatable taxi profile memory means for optimizing aircraft taxi profile at an airport or a specific location at an airport.

12 . The system of claim 5 , wherein said aircraft taxi profile means comprises a plurality of operational aircraft taxi profiles identified by an operational profile designation, wherein said aircraft taxi profile means further comprises a lookup table wherein a selected operational aircraft taxi profile corresponds to a selected one of said plurality of ground locations.

13 . A method for defining and controlling taxi profile of aircraft and optimizing aircraft taxi at an airport comprising:
a. equipping an aircraft with one or more onboard non-engine drive means capable of generating operating torque and controllable to transfer torque to move the aircraft autonomously at taxi speeds during ground travel; b. providing a plurality of aircraft taxi operational profiles for each of the airports where said aircraft lands and takes off; c. controlling aircraft taxi at a selected airport where said aircraft is taxiing in response to a selected aircraft taxi operational profile; d. optimizing aircraft taxi by controlling torque of said drive means to move said aircraft autonomously during taxi at an optimal torque and speed defined by said aircraft taxi operational profile; and e. updating said plurality of aircraft taxi operational profiles based on actual taxi conditions to further optimize taxi of said aircraft.

14 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising selecting said optimal torque and controlling torque during taxi at a level determined to extend operational life of mechanical components connected to or associated with said drive means.

15 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising providing location information and condition information at an airport to said aircraft operational taxi profile and updating said location information and condition information at periodic intervals or in real time.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein said location information comprises location in real time of said aircraft and all other aircraft, vehicles, and equipment on the ground and location of departing, arriving, and airborne aircraft for each of said plurality of map coordinates corresponding to airport map locations and said location information is updated in real time.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein said condition information comprises information selected from information comprising temperature, wind speed, ground surface conditions, light, weather, and traffic conditions and said condition information is updated in real time.

18 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said one or more onboard non-engine drive means comprises one or more electric motors capable of driving a commercial size aircraft on the ground selected from the group comprising high phase order electric motors, electric induction motors, permanent magnet brushless DC motors, and switched reluctance motors, wherein said one or more motors is powered by an aircraft auxiliary power unit.

19 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising defining an optimal maximum torque, wherein selected time periods during aircraft taxi when said operating torque is equal to said maximum torque are limited to a percentage of operational life of said drive means and said periods are varied as taxi operational profiles are updated.

20 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising limiting periods of maximum torque to not more than 3% to 5% of operational life.

21 . The method of claim 19 , further comprising limiting operating torque to a level below said maximum torque and above a breakaway torque.

22 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said one or more motors is controllable during a start-stop situation to limit torque as said aircraft taxis, thereby preventing premature overheating and extending operational life of the drive means and drive means components.

23 . The method of claim 18 , wherein said one or more motors is controllable to produce maximum torque from a first forward full start and is limited to a torque level selected to avoid damage to the one or more motors or motor components at subsequent full forward starts in a taxi cycle.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein said one or more motors is controllable to limit torque to a level selected to avoid damage to the one or more motors or motor components until selected distance or speed limits have been exceeded.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein said distance limit is 500 feet and said speed limit is 10 miles per hour.

26 . The method of claim 13 , further comprising defining a default taxi profile, wherein said default taxi profile co

Assignees

• Borealis Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Cox Isaiah W
• Cox Rodney T
• Sichel Aaron Z

Classifications

• B64C25/405 Primary

  Powered wheels, e.g. for taxing · CPC title

• B60L2200/10

  Air crafts · CPC title

• B60L50/00

  Electric propulsion with power supplied within the vehicle (with power supply from force of nature, e.g. sun or wind, B60L8/00; for monorail vehicles, suspension vehicles or rack railways B60L13/00) · CPC title

• G05D17/02

  characterised by the use of electric means · CPC title

• G08G5/51

  for control when on the ground, e.g. taxiing or rolling · CPC title