Method for Reducing Aircraft Turnaround Time by Improving Ramp Safety

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018201366-A1
Application number	US-201815889910-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 6, 2018
Priority date	Mar 10, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for reducing aircraft turnaround time by improving airport ramp safety is provided. The method minimizes the time interval between an aircraft's landing and takeoff by independently moving the aircraft on the ground without the aircraft's engines by eliminating hazards from jet blast, the possibility of engine ingestion, and the time previously required to wait in the gate area upon arrival or at departure until jet blast or engine ingestion did not pose a danger. Turnaround time is further reduced by providing an onboard driver controllable to drive at least one of the aircraft's wheels between landing and takeoff, thereby eliminating the need for a tow vehicle and the time required to move the aircraft with a tow vehicle.

First claim

1 . A method for maximizing safety in an airport ramp area where multiple aircraft, ground vehicles, and people are moving into, within, and out of the ramp area and simultaneously minimizing turnaround time of aircraft traveling into and out of the ramp area to unload and load passengers and cargo, comprising:
a. at an airport with a ramp area having entry and exit locations and parking locations for aircraft and boundaries defining ground hazard zones that limit presence of unauthorized persons and vehicles, equipping aircraft to move into, within, and out of the ramp area independently without operating aircraft engines and without assistance from tow vehicles by providing at least one landing gear drive wheel powered by a drive motor controllable by a pilot or cockpit crew to move the aircraft; b. moving the aircraft through the ramp area entry location to a parking location with only the controllable drive motor without hazards from jet blast and engine ingestion from the aircraft as the aircraft is moved into and within the ramp area; c. unloading passengers from both forward and rear access doors and stair ramps on opposite sides of the aircraft immediately after the aircraft stops at the parking location and loading passengers through the both forward and rear access doors and stair ramps on the opposite sides of the aircraft without delays caused by jet blast or engine ingestion; and d. moving the aircraft away from the parking location and through the ramp exit location with only the controllable powered drive motor and eliminating jet blast and engine ingestion hazards from the aircraft as the aircraft is moved within and out of the ramp area.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising immediately after the aircraft stops at the parking location, unloading and loading cargo and servicing the aircraft during passenger transfer without jet blast and engine ingestion hazards and with reduced risk of ground incidents.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising eliminating engine operation in all aircraft moving into, within, and out of the ramp area and parking at parking locations in the ramp area and eliminating a possibility of engine ingestion and jet blast in the vicinity of the aircraft moving and parked in the ramp area.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a drive motor comprising an onboard electric drive motor powered by a power source other than the aircraft main engines, wherein the onboard electric drive motor is selected from the group comprising high phase order electric motors, electric induction motors, permanent magnet brushless DC motors, and switched reluctance motors.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a drive motor comprising a hydraulic pump/motor assembly or a pneumatic motor powered by power sources other than the aircraft main engines.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising simultaneously reducing a time interval between the aircraft's arrival at and departure from the parking location in the ramp area and minimizing an occurrence of incidents as the aircraft is moved with only the controllable powered drive motor in the ramp area.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising eliminating the ground hazard zones defined in the ramp area adjacent to parked aircraft and associated with jet blast and engine ingestion when aircraft at the airport are driven into, within, and out of the ramp area with the controllable powered drive motors.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising, as soon as the aircraft has come to a complete stop upon arrival at the ramp parking location, maximizing use of all the both forward and rear access doors and stair ramps on the opposite sides of the aircraft for unloading passengers and cargo and for loading departing passengers and cargo and reducing time for passenger transfer during aircraft turnaround.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising minimizing turnaround time by eliminating time required for a tow vehicle to be first attached to and then detached from the aircraft to move the aircraft out of the parking location and out of the ramp exit location.

10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising improving ramp safety by reducing a number of moving ground vehicles in the vicinity of the aircraft and decreasing the likelihood of ramp incidents involving ground vehicles, persons, and aircraft.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising eliminating the ground hazard zones defined in the ramp area adjacent to the aircraft equipped with controllable powered drive motors moving through the ramp area and parked in the parking locations.

Assignees

• Borealis Tech Ltd

Inventors

• Cox Isaiah W
• Cox Rodney T

Classifications

• Y02T50/823

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• B64F1/3055

  with hinged head interface between aircraft and passenger bridge · CPC title

• B64C25/405 Primary

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

• B64F1/00

  Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations · CPC title

• B64F1/227

  for direct connection to aircraft, e.g. tow tractors without towing bars · CPC title