This invention relates to a method and apparatus for the calculation of aircraft braking friction and other relating landing parameters, including but not limited to aircraft braking action, aircraft takeoff distance, aircraft landing distance, runway surface conditions and runway surface friction based on the data collected by and available in the aircraft Flight Data Recorder (FDR) or other flight data management system, for example, the Quick Access Recorder (QAR), to provide all involved personnel in the ground operations of an airport and airline operations, including but not limited to aircraft pilots, airline operation officers and airline managers as well as airport operators, managers and maintenance crews, with the most accurate and most recent information on the true aircraft landing performance parameters to help better and more accurate safety and economical decision making.

Method and device of calculating aircraft braking friction and other relating landing performance parameters based on the data received from aircraft's on board flight data management system

Generally and not exclusively, a method for controlling a process condition of at least one item within a microwave chamber may include receiving one or more initial values of one or more dynamically variable heatability properties for the at least one item in the microwave chamber, applying one or more microwave energy beams to the at least one item in the microwave chamber, remotely monitoring a spatial variation of the one or more dynamically variable heatability properties for the at least one item in the microwave chamber at least one of simultaneously with or following the applying of the one or more microwave energy beams, and estimating the process condition for microwaving the at least one item in the microwave chamber based at least partially on the monitoring of the one or more dynamically variable heatability properties for the at least one item in the microwave chamber.

Microwave processing systems and methods

A microwave heating apparatus and a method of heating a load using microwaves is disclosed. The microwave heating apparatus comprises a cavity arranged to receive a load, a plurality of feeding ports for feeding microwaves from a plurality of microwave generators to the cavity, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to obtain a desired temperature pattern within the cavity based on information about a plurality of regions of the load. The control unit is also configured to determine a heating pattern comprising zones of different intensities corresponding to the desired temperature pattern, and control at least one of the plurality of microwave generators for providing the heating pattern within the cavity. The apparatus and method may provide heating of a load according to different desired temperatures in various parts of the load.

Microwave heating apparatus

Addressed are systems and methods for providing to pilots of landing aircraft real-time (or near real-time) information concerning runway conditions and aircraft-stopping performance to be encountered upon landing. The systems and methods contemplate using more objective data than utilized at present and providing the information in automated manner. Information may be obtained by using conventional ground-based runway friction testers or, advantageously, by using air-based equipment such as (but not limited to) unmanned aerospace vehicles (UAVs).

Systems and methods of improving or increasing information concerning, particularly, runway conditions available to pilots of landing aircraft

An electrically actuated braking system for an aircraft. The system includes: an electro-mechanical brake actuator (EMAbrake) proximate a wheel of the aircraft, the EMAbrake including a motor; an electro-mechanical actuator controller (EMAC) including a motor controller for generating a drive signal for the EMAbrake; a braking control unit (BCU) for generating a braking force command signal for the EMAC during a normal mode of operation; and an emergency braking control unit (eBCU) for generating a braking force command signal for the EMAC during an emergency operating mode. The eBCU is disposed together with the EMAC in a common line replaceable unit (LRU).

Aircraft electric braking system

An advanced braking system for an aircraft is disclosed. A controller calculates the braking required from each wheel in terms of force. A constant deceleration is achieved throughout a braking run by calculating the braking from other sources, principally aerodynamic drag, and commanding a complementary total level of braking from the wheel brakes. The performance of each wheel and brake are monitored during the braking run to determine whether their braking performance is limited by the brake discs or by the tire-ground interaction and to see whether the wheel is approaching the maximum slip ratio after which a skid occurs. The controller uses this information to distribute the total demand for braking amongst the wheels. In doing this, it also aims to keep the braking demand symmetrical across the aircraft and not to overheat the brakes. The controller further measures the braking force provided by a wheel and controls its brake pressure accordingly to achieve the force desired.

Advanced braking system

The load on an aircraft component, such as the load on or in a landing gear leg during braking, is measured with an all weather displacement measuring system. The system includes a processing unit, a controllable source (14) of laser light and a light detector (10) comprising a plurality of sensors. When the aircraft component is subjected to a load, relative movement of the source (14) and detector (10) is caused. The source and detector are housed in an inert and dry atmosphere sealed in a container (8) and are therefore protected from the external environment (22). The detector (10) generates in response to light received from the focused beam (16) of light emitted by the source (14) a signal that is received by a signal processor of the control unit. The signal received by the control unit depends on the relative positions of the source (14) and detector (10). The control unit is arranged to provide an output signal representative of the load sustained by the aircraft component. The system may be used to control braking in dependence on the output signal so as to maximise braking efficiency without overloading the landing gear leg.

Optically measuring the displacement or load for an aircraft component, landing gear, braking control

An advanced braking system for an aircraft is disclosed. A controller calculates the braking required from each wheel in terms of force. A constant deceleration is achieved throughout a braking run by calculating the braking from other sources, principally aerodynamic drag, and commanding a complementary total level of braking from the wheel brakes. The performance of each wheel and brake are monitored during the braking run to determine whether their braking performance is limited by the brake discs or by the tyre-ground interaction and to see whether the wheel is approaching the maximum slip ratio after which a skid occurs. The controller uses this information to distribute the total demand for braking amongst the wheels. In doing this, it also aims to keep the braking demand symmetrical across the aircraft and not to overheat the brakes. The controller further measures the braking force provided by a wheel and controls its brake pressure accordingly to achieve the force desired.

Advanced braking system for aircraft

An aircraft control system operates during landing to suppress normal modes of flexing of the aircraft or modes of rigid rotation. The excitation of the modes are measured using accelerometers attached to the aircraft or strain-measuring devices attached to the landing gears. To suppress the modes, the controller operates the flight control surfaces, e.g., elevators, ailerons, rudders and spoilers and/or the steering angle of the nose wheel. This reduces vibration, which reduces wear and makes braking more even because the variation in load on the ground wheels caused by the excitation of the modes is reduced.

Aircraft mode suppression

The load on an aircraft component, such as the load on a landing gear leg during braking, is measured with a contactless, all-weather displacement measuring system. The system includes a processing unit, a plurality of controllable microwave emitters (1) of electromagnetic radiation including a pulsed time-coded signal (PTCS) and a microwave detector (3) comprising a plurality of antennae. When the aircraft component is subjected to a load relative movement of the emitter (1) and detector (3) is caused. The antennae of the detector (3) generate in response to microwave radiation received from PTCS emitted by the emitter (1) signals that are received by a signal processor (7) of the processing unit. The timing of the signals received by the processing unit depends on the relative positions of the emitter (1) and detector (3). With the use of triangulation techniques, the processing unit provides an output signal representative of the load sustained by the aircraft component. The system may be used to control braking in dependence on the output signal so as to maximise braking efficiency without overloading the landing gear leg.

Alessandro Riccardo Britannico Giazotto

Papers

Advanced braking system

Optically measuring the displacement or load for an aircraft component, landing gear, braking control

Advanced braking system for aircraft

Aircraft mode suppression

Measuring load on an aircraft component by microwave distance links