Energy index for aircraft maneuvers

US7075457B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as Represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) · US

Inventors

• Thomas R. Chidester · Mountain View, US
• Robert E. Lynch · Redwood City, US
• Robert E. Lawrence · Los Altos, US
• Brett G. Amidan · Kennewick, US
• Thomas A. Ferryman · Richland, US
• Douglas A. Drew · Peachtree City, US
• Robert J. Ainsworth · Dunwoody, US
• Gary L. Prothero · Corvallis, US
• Timothy P. Romanowski · Corvallis, US
• Laurent Bloch · Dallas, US
• William L. Craine · Vancouver, US
• Vincent J. Zaccardi · Eastchester, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 22, 2004
• Grant date: Jul 11, 2006
• Expiry date: Oct 15, 2024

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G08G5/55
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Method and system for analyzing, separately or in combination, kinetic energy and potential energy and/or their time derivatives, measured or estimated or computed, for an aircraft in approach phase or in takeoff phase, to determine if the aircraft is or will be put in an anomalous configuration in order to join a stable approach path or takeoff path. A reference value of kinetic energy and/or potential energy (or time derivatives thereof) is provided, and a comparison index for the estimated energy and reference energy is computed and compared with a normal range of index values for a corresponding aircraft maneuver. If the computed energy index lies outside the normal index range, this phase of the aircraft is identified as anomalous, non-normal or potentially unstable.