Ge Aviation Systems Limited

General Electric Company

Mark Lawrence Darnell

David Michael Lax

Eric Richard Westervelt

Reza Ghaemi

Sridhar Adibhatla

Liling Ren

Jeffrey Russell Bult

Nicholas Race Visser

Brandon James Rhone

Sean Hwang

Harry Kirk Mathews, Jr

Szabolcs Andras Borgyos

So Young Kim

Norman Leonard Ovens

Thomas Charles Swager

Michael Eric Figard

George R Henderson

MacKenzie Dylan Cumings

Jennifer Ruth Cooper

Sharon Ann Green

Sherif Fouad Ali

Otto Darias

Stefano A M Lassini

Faisal Goussous

Timothy John Theriault

Steven Louis Kiebles

Meet Patel

Christopher Daniel Holbert

Filippo Liverini

Albert Jeffrey Ellis

Stefano Am Lassini

Sean Sanghyun Hwang

Otto Y Darias

Russell Ramaker

Brandon Rhone

Jr Harry Kirk Matthews

Harry Kirk Mathews

Mackenzie Cumings

Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to provide improved engine load models are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a model generator to generate an engine load model for an engine using flight information, weather information, and manifest information to predict a load on the engine from an engine subsystem utilization modeled for a flight. The example model generator is to incorporate the engine load model into an engine model, the engine model representing engine behavior for the flight. The example model generator is to determine a first measure of thrust from the engine and a second measure of fuel flow to the engine using the engine model with the engine load model, the engine load model to modify engine behavior by the predicted load on the engine from the engine subsystem utilization. The example model generator is to generate flight parameters for a flight path using the first measure of thrust and the second measure of fuel flow for the predicted load on the engine based on the engine load model.

Engine load model systems and methods

An aircraft control system and method to optimize aircraft control based on noise abatement volumes. A noise abatement component computes optimal flight and engine control based on a line-of-sight distance to minimize direct operating cost (DOC) while complying with community noise regulations.

Optimizing aircraft control based on noise abatement volumes

A system, computer-readable medium, and a method including obtaining flight data for a specific aircraft for a prescribed flight; obtaining current sample measurements of at least one state or output of the specific aircraft; performing based on the obtained flight data, the current measurements or outputs, and a mathematical model accurately representing an actual operational performance of the specific aircraft and providing a predictive indication of a future performance of the specific aircraft, a control optimization to determine a cost-optimal control input for the prescribed flight; adjusting, in response to a consideration of actual operational characteristics of the specific aircraft, the optimized control input; and transmitting the adjusted optimized control input to the specific aircraft to operate the specific aircraft to minimize the direct operating cost for the prescribed flight.

Flight management via model-based iterative optimization

A system, computer-readable medium, and a method to operate a vehicle in a manner that minimizes a cost to travel from an origin to a destination that includes finding the input to a flight control system that minimizes direct operating cost. The approach described herein employs an energy state approximation (ESA).

Methods and systems for optimal guidance based on energy state approximation

Methods, systems, and apparatuses for generating efficient flight profiles in a variety of aircraft are disclosed. A method includes receiving required time of arrival (RTA) constraints for the aerial vehicle. The RTA constraints include a required time of arrival for a waypoint. The method also includes inputting the RTA constraints into a problem configured to generate flight plans based on the required time of arrival for the waypoint of the RTA constraints. The problem includes an altitude variable and a speed variable. The method also includes generating, as a solution to the problem, a flight plan by varying the altitude variable and the speed variable in order to reduce operating cost of the aerial vehicle based at least in part on the RTA constraints, and providing the flight plan to at least one computing system of the aerial vehicle. The flight plan includes a route traversing the waypoint.

Efficient flight profiles with multiple RTA constraints

A system, computer-readable medium, and a method including receiving flight data engine measurements for at least one engine of the specific aircraft asset; receiving flight data aerodynamics measurements for the specific aircraft asset; combining a physics based parametric aerodynamic performance model tuned for the specific aircraft asset using the flight data aerodynamics measurements and a physics based engine model tuned for the specific aircraft asset using the flight data engine measurements; calculating, based on the combined tuned aerodynamic performance model and the tuned engine model, a performance model for the specific aircraft asset as a whole; and storing a record of the calculated performance model for the specific aircraft asset for a future deployment.

Methods and systems for flight data based parameter tuning and deployment

Systems and methods for determine a cost-improved set of control commands for an aircraft based at least in part on deterioration costs are provided. One example computing device is configured to iteratively: input a candidate set of control commands for the aircraft into the deterioration cost model; receive, as an output of the deterioration cost model, an estimated deterioration cost associated with the candidate set of control commands; input the estimated deterioration cost into a cost function to obtain a total estimated cost associated with the candidate set of control commands; and determine an improved set of control commands based at least in part on the total estimated cost and the cost function.

Aircraft control based on fuel, time, and deterioration costs

One example aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method for scheduling a vehicle wash. The method can include receiving, at one or more computing devices, data indicative of an actual performance efficiency factor, wherein the data is collected from one or more sensors. The method can include determining, at the one or more computing devices, an expected performance efficiency factor based on a model. The method can include performing, at the one or more computing devices, a comparison of the actual performance efficiency factor with the expected performance efficiency factor. The method can include scheduling, at the one or more computing devices, the vehicle wash based on the comparison.

Vehicle wash assessment

A system, computer-readable medium, and a method including obtaining flight data for a prescribed flight from at least one of an airborne system of a particular aircraft to execute the prescribed flight and a system other than the airborne system of the particular aircraft having a source of data related to the prescribed flight, the flight data including specific details relating to at least one of the particular aircraft and parameters of the prescribed flight; performing, by a processor of an external computational asset and based on the obtained flight data, a control optimization to generate optimized path specific controls for the prescribed flight; transmitting the optimized path specific controls via a communication uplink from the external computational asset to the particular aircraft; and guiding, in response to receiving the optimized path specific controls by the particular aircraft, the particular aircraft in accordance with the optimized path specific controls to execute the prescribed flight.

Aircraft profile optimization with communication links to an external computational asset

Systems and methods for providing failover control in a control system are provided. For instance, a data stream from a plurality of computing nodes in a computing system can be monitored. A first subset of computing nodes can be selected based on the data streams. Control grant signals can be generated for each computing node of the first subset. An output to one or more computing nodes of the first subset can be activated based at least in part on a number of control grant signals generated for each computing node of the first subset. Control authority can then be granted to the one or more computing nodes of the first subset.

Providing failover control on a control system

Systems and methods for controlling an aerial vehicle are provided. The method includes receiving a first signal from a first input device, wherein the first signal is related to a mode of a flight director. The method includes outputting a parameter on an output device, wherein the parameter is related to the mode. The method includes receiving a second signal from a second input device, wherein the second signal causes the parameter to change to a new parameter. The method includes outputting, by the one or more processors, the new parameter on the output device. The method includes receiving, by the one or more processors, a third signal from a third input device, wherein the aerial vehicle is controlled by the flight director based on the third signal, and wherein the second input device is mechanically coupled to the first input device and the third input device.

Integrated flight management system and flight director

Systems and methods for stabilizing an aircraft in response to a yaw movement are provided. In one embodiment, a method includes detecting a yaw movement of the aircraft. The yaw movement can cause a front portion of the aircraft to move towards a first side of the aircraft. The method can further include, in response to the yaw movement, initiating a trim process resulting in a thrust differential. The trim process can include increasing thrust in one or more engines on the first side of the aircraft and decreasing thrust in one or more engines on a second side of the aircraft. The method can include controlling the trim process based at least in part on a detected yaw movement of the aircraft.

Controlling aircraft using thrust differential trim

Systems and methods for enhancing aircraft performance are provided. In one example, a method can include accessing an initial model that defines operating cost of an aircraft at a series of model operating states. The method also can include identifying one or more sample operating states for analyzing aircraft cost during flight. The method also can include receiving one or more real-time flight performance parameters indicative of aircraft operating cost while the aircraft is operating at the identified sample operating states. The method also can include generating an updated model that defines operating cost of the aircraft using the initial model as well as data defined by the real-time flight performance parameters. The method also can include determining an enhanced operating state based at least in part on the updated model and outputting the enhanced operating state for control of the aircraft.

Experimental real-time performance enhancement for aircraft

Growing community of inventors

Grand Rapids, MI, United States of America

Mark Lawrence Darnell