Method and electronic device for providing an optimal quantity of aircraft fuel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018261105-A1
Application number	US-201815915132-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2018
Priority date	Mar 9, 2017
Publication date	Sep 13, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method and electronic device for providing an optimal quantity of aircraft fuel. The method comprises collecting recorded flight data from past flights of an aircraft; determining aircraft specific performance correction parameters per flight phase, using the recorded flight data; collecting a flight plan of the aircraft; determining the total fuel required for the given flight plan, using the aircraft specific performance correction parameters; determining a single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and a single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) that, when used by the aircraft FMS, yield the said total fuel required for the given flight plan; receiving an estimated total fuel required determined by the aircraft FMS based on the flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and the single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ). The method allows reducing the fuel weight and total flight cost, and is particularly advantageous for FMS which only admit one single drag factor and one single fuel factor.

First claim

1 . A method for providing an optimal quantity of aircraft fuel, comprising:
collecting recorded flight data from past flights of an aircraft; determining, using an Aircraft Performance Monitoring tool, aircraft specific performance correction parameters comprising drag and fuel factors (ε D CLB , ε D CRZ , ε FF DES , ε FF CRZ , ε FF DES ) for each of the climb, cruise, and descent flight phases, using the recorded flight data; collecting a flight plan of the aircraft; determining, using a flight planning tool, the total fuel required for the given flight plan, using the aircraft specific performance correction parameters; determining a single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and a single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) that, when used by an aircraft FMS, yield the said total fuel required for the given flight plan; communicating the given flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and the single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) to the aircraft FMS; receiving an estimated total fuel required determined by the aircraft FMS based on the flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and the single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ); requesting loading of an amount of fuel onto the aircraft based on the estimated total fuel required for the given flight plan.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining a single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and a single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) comprises:
determining a single synthetic drag factor using the flight plan and the aircraft specific drag factors (ε D CLB , ε D CRZ , ε FF DES ) per flight phase;
calculating updated fuel factors for climb, cruise, and descent flight phases using the calculated synthetic drag factor;
determining a single synthetic fuel factor using the updated fuel factors.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the single synthetic drag factor is determined taking the condition that the estimated total fuel required for the given flight plan using the single synthetic drag factor is substantially the same as the total fuel required when using the aircraft specific drag factors (ε D CLB , ε D CRZ , ε FF DES ) per flight phase.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the updated fuel factors are calculating by:
deriving thrust levels from each flight condition using the synthetic drag factor from each of the derived thrust levels, calculating an expected fuel flow; calculating the fuel flow deviations using the expected fuel flows; calculating the updated fuel factors using the fuel flow deviations.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the single synthetic fuel factor is determined taking the condition that the estimated total fuel required for the given flight plan using the single synthetic fuel factor is substantially the same as the total fuel required when using updated fuel factors per flight phase.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising collecting additional data including factors that affect the total fuel required, wherein said additional data is used to determine the total fuel required and comprises at least one of weather conditions and air space delays for the given flight plan.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the estimated total fuel required determined by the aircraft FMS based on the flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and the single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) is less than a total required fuel as determined by the FMS based on a drag factor and fuel factor calculated only in relation to a cruse flight phase.

8 . An electronic device for providing an optimal quantity of aircraft fuel, comprising a processing unit configured to:
collect recorded flight data from past flights of an aircraft; determine, using an Aircraft Performance Monitoring tool, aircraft specific performance correction parameters comprising drag and fuel factors (ε D CLB , ε D CRZ , ε FF DES , ε FF CLB , ε FF CRZ , ε FF DES ) for each of the climb, cruise, and descent flight phases, using the recorded flight data collect a flight plan of the aircraft; determine, using a flight planning tool, the total fuel required for the given flight plan using the aircraft specific performance correction parameters determine a single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and a single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) that, when used by an aircraft FMS, yield the said total fuel required for the given flight plan

9 . The electronic device of claim 8 , further comprising a wireless communication module configured to wirelessly communicate the single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and the single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) to the aircraft FMS.

10 . The electronic device of claim 8 , further configured to receive an estimated total fuel required determined by the aircraft FMS.

11 . The electronic device of claim 10 , wherein the estimated total fuel required is determined by the aircraft FMS based on the flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and the single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ).

12 . The electronic device of claim 11 wherein the estimated total fuel required as determined by the aircraft FMS based on the flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and the single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) is less than a total required fuel as determined by the FMS based on a drag factor and fuel factor calculated only in relation to a cruse flight phase.

13 . A computer program product for providing an optimal quantity of aircraft fuel, comprising computer code instructions that, when executed by a processor, causes the processor to:
collect recorded flight data from past flights of an aircraft; determine, using an Aircraft Performance Monitoring tool, aircraft specific performance correction parameters comprising drag and fuel factors (ε D CLB , ε D CRZ , ε FF DES , ε FF CLB , ε FF CRZ , ε FF DES ) for each of the climb, cruise, and descent flight phases, using the recorded flight data collect a flight plan of the aircraft; determine, using a flight planning tool, the total fuel required for the given flight plan using the aircraft specific performance correction parameters determine a single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and a single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) that, when used by an aircraft FMS, yield the said total fuel required for the given flight plan.

14 . The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
communicate the given flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and the single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS )to the aircraft FMS; receive an estimated total fuel required determined by the aircraft FMS based on the flight plan, the single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and the single synthetic fuel factor and (ε FF FMS ); request loading of an amount of fuel onto the aircraft based on the estimated total fuel required for the given flight plan.

15 . The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein the computer code instructions that cause the processor to determine a single synthetic drag factor (ε D FMS ) and a single synthetic fuel factor (ε FF FMS ) comprises instructions to:
determine a single synthetic drag factor using the flight plan and the aircraft specific drag factors (ε D CLB , ε D CRZ , ε FF DES ) per flight phase;
calculate updated

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Garrido-Lopez David
• Vos Maxim Constantijn
• De Prins Johan
• Scholtes Anne Jacqueline Gertruda Theodora

Classifications

• G06Q10/04 Primary

  Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" (market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202) · CPC title

• G06Q10/047

  Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem · CPC title

• G07C5/085

  using electronic data carriers · CPC title

• G07C5/12

  in graphical form · CPC title

• G08G5/0039 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic