Four dimensional flight management with time control system and related method

摘要

A four dimensional time controlled flight management system (4DFMS) and related method generate an initial descent profile for an aircraft in flight. The initial descent profile is planned in compliance with a 1) a published arrival procedure at an airport, 2) a fuel-efficient optimized profile descent (OPD), and a required time of arrival (RTA) constraint at a metering waypoint on the published arrival. The 4DFMS maintains awareness of the changing wind conditions during cruise mode and descent mode of operation and triggers a replan of the descent profile should compliance fall outside of a 95% confidence level at a six second compliance requirement in the descent mode. The system continuously generates a total time error at the metering waypoint by projecting estimated time of arrivals at active waypoints to determine accurate altitude, airspeed, and time compliance at the metering waypoint.

主权项

1. A system for four dimensional time controlled flight management, comprising:
a four dimensional flight management system (4DFMS) onboard an aircraft, the 4DFMS including a flight management computer (FMC) operably coupled with at least a non-transitory memory, a time control module operably coupled with the FMC, an input output device, a display, a route information module, an aircraft information module, and a weather information module; the FMC including at least one processor configured for controlling at least a flight control system and an autothrottle system associated with control of the aircraft, the FMC further configured for generating an initial descent path for the aircraft, the initial descent path including at least a top of descent and a reference speed; the initial descent path in compliance with an assigned required time of arrival (RTA) at a metering waypoint, a four dimensional published arrival procedure, and an optimized profile descent; the time control module configured for:
receiving sensor data including at least position data, velocity data and altitude data associated with the aircraft;receiving weather information associated with the four dimensional published arrival procedure via the weather information module;determining a total time error (TTE) at the metering waypoint, the TTE based on the weather information, the assigned RTA at the metering waypoint, an estimated time of arrival (ETA) at the metering waypoint, a planned time of arrival (ETAW) at an active waypoint and an actual time of arrival (ATA) at the active waypoint;determining a mode of flight of the aircraft, the mode of flight at least one of a cruise mode and a descent mode;triggering a time control replan of the initial descent path, the triggering based on the TTE and the mode of flight, the time control replan in compliance with the assigned RTA at the metering waypoint, the four dimensional published arrival procedure, and the optimized profile descent;commanding the FMC to comply with the time control replan;commanding the FMC to display the time control replan of the initial descent path to an aircraft crewmember on the display.