EP2129835A2 - Method for cleaning, clearing, and/or treating an elongate path - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for cleaning, clearing, and/or treating an elongate, particularly rectilinear paved path, especially a taxiway and/or take-off runway and/or landing runway of an airfield, said path being used in the longitudinal direction in successive, irregular intervals by starting or landing aircraft. In said method, cleaning or clearing movements in at least one segment of the path are carried out in cycles, at a defined operational width and at an oblique or right angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the path, by two or more identical, successive cleaning or clearing runs and/or movements of at least one clearing apparatus.

Description

 Method for cleaning, broaching and / or treating a long drawn web

The present invention relates to a method for cleaning, broaching and / or treating an elongated, in particular rectilinearly fastened track, in particular a runway and / or takeoff and / or landing runway of an airfield, with the features of the independent claim 1.

All year round used areas and lanes must be cleaned and / or cleared of snow depending on the nature of their use. This applies, for example, taxiways and airport runways. Due to their great length, these so-called runways are completely closed for flight operations before they can be freed from snow, slush, ice, frozen snow or the like. Until just before a decision to close the runway completely, the driving and take-off and landing operations can be maintained in places only at the cost of security losses, as for example on not completely cleared runways, the steering and / or braking behavior of starting or landing aircraft is significantly deteriorated. In case of sudden snowfall, the deterioration of the conditions in a very short time and thus sometimes occur very surprising.

While clearing roads in the midst of flowing traffic is easily possible, runways can not be cleared during take-off or landing operations due to the significant differences in speed between clearance vehicles and airplanes. For this reason, clearance of the runways must be preceded by a complete blockage of the space for flight operations. Depending on the length of time for a complete evacuation, this can make a large number of takeoffs and landings impossible.

The schematic representation of FIG. 1 shows a conventional clearing method of a so-called runway 10 of an airport. The clearing of a snow removal convoy 12 take place only in the direction of travel 14 to the right. Waiting aircraft 16 must fly in queues 18 during the relatively long clearing time. Only after completion of the clearing process, they can land in a landing approach 20. During the clearance period, during which the runway 10 remains closed for incoming and outgoing traffic, the waiting aircraft 16 have to wait with additional fuel reserves bridged. The effective clearance time is composed of the driving of the most consecutively arranged on the taxiway clearing vehicles, arranging the Räumfahrzeuge side by side and behind each other, the clearing of a several kilometers long runway 10 itself and at the end of the clearing process rearranging the Räumkonvois 12 in successive moving vehicles so that the Runway 10 can be left on a taxiway again.

Assuming that a clearing of a 60-meter-wide and 4-kilometer-long runway 10 requires a clearing time of about 20 minutes, but the intensity of a snowfall increases so much that within 19 minutes, the runway already no longer sufficient braking maneuvers allows at the beginning of the runway, start again with a clearing process. Practically, not a single landing would have been possible after the first or before the second clearing process. Assuming that a second snow removal squad would be available 19 minutes after the first snow removal crew 12 arrived at the beginning of the runway 10 and could immediately clear the now fallen amount of snow from the runway 10, that would be

Runway 10 already closed for about 40 minutes. Since such a situation can occur on every runway of an airport, the airport would have to be shut down in case of appropriate snowfall, even in the case of a large number of snow removal convoys. In the event of pronounced snowfall over long periods of time, such as North American blizzards may occur, it may happen that even possible alternative airports suddenly have to be closed.

From AT 413 564 B a method for removing ice and / or press snow layers of traffic areas is known. Here, the ice or snow layers are cut by means of circular saw blades and injected with water, in order to be able to solve them better from the ground surface.

An object of the present invention is seen in clearing traffic areas and elongated webs in the shortest possible time and / or to clean, while at the same time the main use of the web is impaired as little as possible.

This object is achieved by a method having the features of independent claim 1, characterized in that the web at an angle or perpendicular to their

Cleared longitudinally and / or cleaned. Features of advantageous developments of the invention can be found in the dependent claims.

According to the present invention, the evacuation of the web occurs longitudinally in successive irregular intervals of vehicles or landing or landing aircraft is frequented by the cleaning or clearing movements of at least one Längenabschπittes the web with a defined working width at an oblique or vertical angle to the longitudinal direction of the web and in cycles of two or more each similar, successive cleaning or clearing at least one Clearing device are performed.

While the clearing movements in the conventional method between the narrow sides or end faces of an elongated path take place, the inventive method refers to movements between the opposite longitudinal sides or flanks of the path to be cleared. A clearing movement can also mean a clearing, with the entire unit moves accordingly.

Preferably, in the method according to the invention, the cleaning or clearing movements can be formed by a plurality of clearing movements, each parallel and offset approximately at the working width laterally to the longitudinal direction of the web.

Optionally, a cleaning and / or clearing each return to the opposite direction without cleaning or evacuation and in turn followed by a laterally offset cleaning and / or Räumfahrt in the same direction to the previous clearance travel. Alternatively, a cleaning and / or clearing ride in one direction in each case a laterally offset further cleaning and / or Räumfahrt in the opposite direction and in turn connect a laterally offset cleaning and / or Räumfahrt in the same direction for vorverieben Räumfahrt. Depending on the circumstances or as needed, these two variants can be combined or varied in any way.

The advantages of the method according to the invention come into play particularly when two or more cleaning and / or clearing operations are carried out simultaneously and / or with a time delay at different points along the longitudinal direction of the web. At the same time, several vehicles or clearing facilities can clear or clean the track at various points, which can greatly reduce the time required. The more places the train is cleared or cleaned at the same time, the shorter the total time required for clearing or cleaning the entire track or sections of the track. While the conventional methods a

Provide longitudinal clearance with one, two or more vehicles, which at a typical runway length of more than 2 km and a limited driving speed require a clearing or cleaning time of not less than 10 minutes, the If necessary, the process according to the invention makes it possible to clear or clean much faster.

A further embodiment provides that the web can be cleaned and / or cleared by means of at least one cleaning and / or clearing vehicle, in particular by means of two, three or more cleaning and / or clearing vehicles traveling simultaneously and / or with a time delay. Already during an evacuation or a cleaning of the web with only one vehicle can be compared to a clearance in the longitudinal direction of the web result in significant advantages, since in each case the most necessary area of the web can be preferably cleared. However, with two, three or more parallel and simultaneously deployed vehicles clearing and / or cleaning the lane either synchronously or in any desired manner at different locations - either in zigzag mode or in "empty" return mode repeat mode For the first time, the possibility of clearing or cleaning a train in a very short time, possibly even during its uninterrupted use.

For this reason, a particularly advantageous variant of the method according to the invention provides for driving on the track with at least one cleaning and / or clearing vehicle during use of the track in the longitudinal direction by other vehicles or by aircraft. As soon as the web is subject to its main use in the longitudinal direction - for example by using the web through a take-off or landing aircraft - it makes sense for safety reasons to park the at least one clearing vehicle laterally at the edge of the web or at a distance from the edge of the web. However, the plowing vehicle may remain in the waiting position during the use of the lane in the longitudinal direction and immediately after passing the aircraft or vehicle or after it has left the lane, drive them again in the transverse direction for cleaning or cleaning.

Thus, it may be provided in particular that the web is cleaned and / or cleared until immediately prior to its use in the longitudinal direction and / or immediately after use in the longitudinal direction at an oblique or perpendicular angle to the longitudinal direction of the web. The clearing or cleaning must be interrupted only briefly and can be resumed immediately after passing the vehicle or aircraft o. The like.

A particularly time-saving variant of the method according to the invention provides that the already passed sections of the web still while using other sections in the longitudinal direction by a vehicle or aircraft by one or more Cleaning and / or clearing vehicles are cleared and / or cleaned. In this variant of the method, it is not absolutely necessary that the web must be completely free in order to be able to travel in the transverse direction for clearing or cleaning. It may be sufficient, for example, that already behind a passing aircraft at sufficient safety distance can be cleared or cleaned again. In

Direction of movement in front of the vehicle or aircraft passing in the longitudinal direction of the track, a greater safety margin should be planned to reliably avoid any possible collision.

Furthermore, it may be advantageous to the cleaning and / or clearing vehicles by means of optical, inductive, radio-assisted and / or satellite-based

Spurlenkuπgssysteme or with the aid of such systems (eg., GPS / Glonas / Galileo method) to direct in defined paths and / or to monitor permanently in their movements. In this way, an automated or semi-automated clearing process can be made possible. The steering or remote steering can also be done or supported by means of induction loops, radar, infrared, radio, rail systems, etc.

When in the present context of clearing or cleaning trips the speech, so this basically all types of clearing or cleaning movements of all types of clearing and / or cleaning equipment and / or vehicles are meant. It does not necessarily have to be vehicles of conventional design. Likewise, the clearing or cleaning movements by means of cable-operated devices or the like can be carried out.

Hereinafter some aspects of the present invention will be summarized again. The invention relates to a method for removing snow, mud, ice, dirt, foreign bodies, rubber, water and the like, in short, contamination on elongated webs, in particular on runways (runways) for aircraft. When referring to runways in the present context, they mean the area of an aerodrome, airport or aircraft carrier on which take-off aircraft accelerate in order to reach the speed necessary for taking off. The runway is usually also the runway on which the planes land and brake. Since runways and runways are used for both purposes, this is also called runway. Pilots and air traffic controllers use the term piste or train for short. In English usage, there is the term "runway" for takeoff and / or runway (s) .The runway direction is the orientation in which the aircraft start or land. In the present context, the term runway is used for all possible runs, tracks etc.

In the new process, the runway is not evacuated longitudinally, analogous to the runway direction in the air-traffic-locked state, or cleaned with agents (deicing fluids, road salt, de-icing salts, sands, etc.), but at an angle substantially different therefrom. In extreme cases, the runway is driven or crossed by clearing, cleaning or distribution device transversely to the landing or take-off direction, removing contamination from the runway or applying treatment agents. Compared to a longitudinal clearing (state of the art), which can extend up to 4 km and takes up to 30 minutes to complete, the transverse clearing is usually for a few seconds, for example, 60 meters. This makes it possible to clear the runway even during the current approach or departure traffic, for example, in sequence, after the landing or take-off aircraft has passed the corresponding sequence. Existing safety distances between the aircraft for staggering, wake turbulence, etc., which are converted, measured or expressed in times, are replaced by the new ^x v. Process used in parallel. The runway no longer needs to be locked for clearance for flight operations. In other words, a stagger distance between two consecutive aircraft using the runway for take-off or landing, for example 2 minutes (legal flight safety distance), is used in parallel during flight operations to at least sequentially clean or handle the runway. The proof of the feasibility provide vehicles that wait at airports with several possibly parallel running runways, for example, in front of a running runway in order to cross these after passing an aircraft (landing or take-off). This is, for example, an aircraft that has just landed and wants to roll at normal rolling speeds of 5 to 15 knots to the terminal building and has to cross another / further runway. Coordination is carried out by the pilot. Flight operations are not affected by such crossing of an active runway.

The claimed with the present invention method can be simplified as so-called.

Cross method be called. Agricultural vehicles are particularly suitable for implementing this method. So far, truck-like vehicles are usually used for snow clearing larger areas, which are equipped with tools. These vehicles are basically suitable for clearing on roads or runways. However, they are more suitable for the purpose described here Special machines that can be used for the special purpose of airfield clearance particularly advantageous.

Such a vehicle may preferably have a suitable drive motor, as used in tractors and tractors for agricultural use. Instead of a conventional gearbox, in which the power flow is interrupted by the engine to the transmission during the switching process, a so-called. Powershift transmission without interruption of traction should be used when switching. Preferably, a continuously variable transmission is used, in which the driver can sensitively adapt the driving speed to the requirements, without interrupting the traction.

Conventional clearing vehicles usually have tires from the truck sector, which absorb the loads, transmitted to the drive and inflated with air pressures of several bar. These tires are suitable for use on paved tracks, such as roads, runways, etc., or do not damage these surfaces. An agreement from the railway e.g. However, in the banquet next to roads or in the green area next to StarWLandebahnen, taxiways etc. caused considerable damage to the ground. These tires are usually not off-road. In the currently used machine, the tires should enable good off-road mobility or grassland maneuverability. The machine may e.g. are carried, transported or driven by low-pressure tires which are much lower than the prior art (for runway equipment)

Create ground pressure. This bottom pressure reduction can be achieved, for example, by increasing the riot width, the uprising length (by treadmills, etc.), by twin tires, increasing the number of axes, etc., as has been developed in numerous variants for the agricultural sector. Possibly. The tire diameter can be chosen so large that it is possible to drive over larger snow piles, etc. at any time. In addition, the tire profiles can be designed so that a traction on snow, etc. grassland and paved surfaces is ensured at all times.

A steering or remote steering of the machine units can for example be done or supported by GPS or GPRS. Furthermore, working widths of far more than 3 or 6 meters can be available; Preferably, it can be used with respect to the prior art for sweeping machines or clearing devices significantly increased working widths. Furthermore, it may be advantageous if "lightweight construction" is used for the clearing device, the working speeds (for clearing device on said S / L trains) of 30- 50 km / h are drastically reduced, the tools (eg snow blade or sweeping roller) possibly less large in (height or diameter) are dimensioned and lighter than the prior art, etc.

Instead of self-propelled machines, the movement of the machine units can optionally also be ensured by self-propulsion, traction cables, chains, rods (push or pull) etc. or traction / shear machines over the web. To prevent the vehicles from entering the security area (e.g., during a landing or airplane take-off), so-called shackles, e.g. electronic type etc. or barriers (also virtual type) etc. prevent uncoordinated movement with the flight operation.

By appropriate structural measures obstacles can be run over next to the train, for example. By appropriate excavation, i. the device is lifted above it, the wheels etc, around the obstacles.

In order to be able to monitor the conditions of the runway at any time, it may be useful to determine the measured friction coefficients or calculated brake coefficients not only over a narrow track but over a large area of the track (up to the complete area of the track). The detection can take place, for example, by means of force measuring bolts with which the draw resistance of a machine unit, energy consumption of the tools, braking effect, etc. measured and / or stored and / or to the operation line - possibly in real time - is transmitted.

Furthermore, in connection with the present method, it may be advantageous not to apply the deicing fluids or other application agents over larger areas, but selectively only at certain area sections, etc., where e.g. have formed stuck snow tracks.

Multiple applications by the same or corresponding equipment, also synchronously at the same time, are possible in connection with the above-mentioned method, for example a winter service (evacuation, cleaning, application of de-icing agents, adhesives, etc.), flash ice removal, cross-groove cleaning, rainwater removal, etc. general cleaning of the S / L track of dust, dirt, foreign objects, animals, etc., a brake coefficient measurement (also partial or full surface), an expulsion or the keeping away of animals and the like in the vicinity of the S- / L-Bahn, from flight operations, etc., a removal of rubber debris (from aircraft tires) from the web. Furthermore, by means of a nearly flat conveyor belt (or similar) on which contamination of any kind is moved, the contamination transported transversely to the clearing direction and, if necessary, be directly loaded, or thrown on unpaved surfaces. The contamination can be conveyed and / or collected into a container, storage or conveyor belt or the like and, if necessary, unloaded or loaded onto unused areas or into containers.

Furthermore, measures can be taken to reduce fog or runway visual range values can be improved, at least for a short time during emergencies. In addition, inspection trips and / or check trips can be made in an anti snowdrift mode.

The power unit (motor drive) may be separated from the tool unit in a few moments, so that depending on the fault, either the tool or the drive machine can be replaced quickly and easily. In addition, during the summer months the tool can be overhauled with wearing parts and the power unit can continue to be used in other areas and the profitability can be significantly improved year-round. In addition, by simply coupling tools for wintry S / L railway treatment with one unit of force, the units of force can only be docked, rented, leased, billed, etc. for the winter period, clearance period, etc.

An increase in the effectiveness of snow and ice removal can, for example, be achieved by the

• number of evictions is increased,

the number of flight movements is increased,

the use of deicing fluids is optimized (time and area specific),

• the deicing fluids are preheated (possibly with the waste heat of the power units),

Further modifications and variants of the method according to the invention, if appropriate using one of the machine variants described above and / or in compliance with one or more of the aforementioned boundary conditions are possible and useful and are therefore included in the present invention. In this connection it can be pointed out that the method according to the invention applies to all possible ones Types of crossings of such elongated webs, for example, for the purpose of eviction of birds and other applications as already described above.

A distribution of the forces necessary for the treatment of the web over the entire working width of the equipment used is carried out mechanically (for example shafts, chains, ropes, straps, belts, linkage, etc.), hydrostatically or electrically or via the distribution of several motors across the working width. Total working widths can be realized over several parallel or juxtaposed and coupled modules and also be designed to be pivotable.

A remote control of all devices can be done by a variety of methods, such. via so-called Bluetooth, GPRS, radio transmission, GMS, satellite communication, Isobus, infrared, radar u. like.

In contrast to the so-called longitudinal method, crossing the cross process is like evacuation. A transverse process can be interrupted or interrupted in a few seconds, while longer procedures can lead to a considerable delay in the longitudinal process.

A particularly advantageous variant provides for a simultaneous detection of brake coefficients during a clearance travel, in order to be able to vary the travel speed as a function of the path state by means of a feedback, so that only a perfect path after the treatment is possible. If the snow cover is thicker, a lower braking coefficient will be detected, causing the

Driving speed is reduced. In this way, a better cleaning quality and increased safety can be ensured.

The invention will be explained in more detail by means of embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. The variants are to be understood as illustrative and not restrictive. Same parts and

Elements in the figures are generally identified by the same reference numerals and therefore will not be explained several times.

Fig. 1 shows a conventional clearing method according to known prior art.

Figures 2 to 10 show in schematic representations variants of a Räumverfahrens invention.

FIGS. 11 to 17 compare the conventional longitudinal method with the transverse method according to the invention and the integrability in the current flight mode. The situations to be improved with the method according to the invention can best be illustrated by means of a pilot's field report. The circumstances caused by the insufficient, currently prevailing clearing procedure are shown in the following report:

"On the XX YY 7777 we started with a long-haul jet from Tokyo with the destination B.

Snowfall was predicted for the planned landing period. However, given the limitations on takeoff weight, we could not take extra fuel for hours in the sky over B. The maximum was just under one hour of fuel for holding patterns. "(Note: for one hour of waiting fuel at the finish, about 6 tons plus fuel for the cruise of about 12 hours had to be scheduled for transporting the extra fuel, leaving a total extra fuel alone Due to the expected snow conditions of almost 10 tons, it had to be left behind for freight of comparable weight in Tokyo.)

"Experience has shown that, as we have often done with comparable weather forecast forecasts, we have fueled extra fuel in this quantity, but the weather situation at the destination airport was not in line with the weather forecast and the situation was completely relaxed. However, we also had to reckon with the worse case this time. Arrived in the destination country, we still had to stay far from B already for about 40 minutes in a waiting loop on the order of the air traffic controllers, which already led to the considerable delay of our flight. After a short onward flight towards B followed by another waiting in another published waiting loop. During this time, we contacted our station in B and transmitted our position in space and in the approach sequence between the other aircraft waiting in the sky. This was mostly a larger device, since smaller airplanes with short flight times already the start release has failed and this usefully still on the ground

Improvement of the situation in B waited. The Company Station caused us to swap the approach order with another aircraft belonging to our company, which had still fuel on board, even if this confuses existing plans of pilots, airport, company, crew, aircraft rotation, connecting flights, etc. So we were soon number 2 for the approach and could the

Approach approach as # 2. The extra fuel to maintain was almost completely consumed. However, when we were # 1, the assigned runway was expected to be completely closed for about 20 minutes using snow removal equipment. This was preceded by a radio message from the pilot who had just landed at the Tower, who was to describe the "Braking Action" as "poor". A current measurement eg with the FrictionMeter car did not take place. The parallel runway in B had also been closed since the morning hours, because another plane, which due to the snow slipped off the runway, could still be on its way for days. On the one hand there was no landing possibility in B and on the other hand no waiting fuel in our tanks. An evasion to C with the same weather conditions was initiated. Fortunately, the approach took place without any delays on a completely cleared of snow and ice runway. The braking coefficient was to be expected as in a wet only track excellent, but this had only to do with the low air traffic and the concomitant use of the much shorter runway by snow removal equipment. The snowfall was almost the same. Since almost all guests with connecting flights on the same evening could not even remember to get to their destination and had to arrange for an unplanned overnight stay in Munich, we arranged that at least the guests with the destination C could get off. However, we had to take their luggage on to B, where the unloading of the luggage containers could take place at the earliest. A forwarding of the luggage the following day should be possible according to procedures, was due to the snow chaos unfortunately not fact, as it turned out in retrospect. "The customer review has been automatically translated from German.

Other items on the emergency list included organizing 20 tons of kerosene, the full-length decker of the long-haul jet with essentially just a small short-range jets de-icing vehicle, which had to be serviced because it already had orders enough and there were only two de-icing vehicles in C. , The hoover over-time (time frame after de-icing in which a safe start is possible) has been reduced by now heavy snowfall so that the sum of times between the beginning of the anti-icing of the first wing section and the completion of the entire de-icing plus Rolling time to the runway plus possible delays

Slot defaults, landing, takeoff or scrapping operation made a stop in C likely. Repeating the de-icing process after the hover over-time expires would have exceeded the maximum allowable service time of 20 hours. Furthermore, the technical clearance for the flight back to B had to be organized, the situation in B to be observed and the maximum hours of service of the crew after already done scarce 16 hours of service calculated and compared with the now calculated with new flight plan landing time in B. By captain's decision, the service could be extended. Luckily the crew in C with all the consequences for guests, cargo, aircraft, schedules, spare crew, etc. was fortunately not the case. With the biggest plane crash on Tenerife ever happened, we let go in spite of fatigue late in the evening Exercise care. At that time, many more planes had to fly to Tenerife for Altemate, which already contributed to the disaster. In the approach to nocturnal B, a CAT-3 approach followed due to the view due to heavy snowfall, which took longer due to the now required staggering again. Contrary to the clean cleared only wet track in C, a runway contaminated with several centimeters of snow was found in B. In the second half of the runway, it was confirmed that there was no clearance at all in the back (probably lack of time, luckily the wind did not touch the facts of the runway conditions and did not turn, because then there would be longer delays to turn the runway direction) Rooms of the then first runway section must be taken into account, and ultimately the Dienstzeitüberschreitung must be reported to the Luftfahrtbundesamt). When we finally landed in B, however, we missed the designated for us rolling off the runway, because the deceleration rate was not sufficient and a safe and the snowy taxiway corresponding speed has not been reached. "

"After passing the free roll-off, we would have been slow enough, but we were instructed by the pilot to roll to the end of the line, because there was no other taxiway open, cleared or cleared in between. The estimated distance to the end was over 1.5 km, the speed of our aircraft with 14 crew members, more than 250 passengers and 20 tons of fuel (about 180 tons total mass) now about 15 -20 km / h, i. another 5-6 min on the only runway in Y. We heard on the radio that a plane following us has to start because of our stay on the train and get the instruction "Expedite vacation" We accelerate to finish faster and roll across the snow covered runway, at the end of the train and after almost 18 hours of service, then the

Surprise. Unlike the first runway section in Compacted Snow with associated still existing braking power (similar to chemically deiced wet runways), the braking coefficient was almost zero shortly before the end of the track and on the taxiways thereafter. Neither brake nor steering seemed to grab, the speed is suddenly too high. Lightning reminds one of transverse Groofings on the surface, which, however, if you need them, were filled with snow, the snowpack is possibly still held by it and bring little to no additional delays. Only the Spirit's present use of the reverse thrust by the captain could prevent uncontrolled abandonment on the remaining orbit. Contrary to the rule maximum reverse thrust only with a speed over 70 kt so over 130 km / h to set, otherwise by overheating the engines could be damaged or foreign parts could get into the engine, we deviated from it and came almost to a standstill. The engines were secondary and so the full reverse thrust swirled so much snow forward that you could see almost nothing from the ground. Again, a compromise had to be found in fractions of seconds. Airport B would have come to a standstill for a long time due to snowfall and almost two accidents. "

The fact that a flight as described above could become reality is enough. The above should explain the problems of the prior art from the perspective of those affected. Considering, for example, the snow masses which are moved by the prior art methods, it should be noted that these are not pushed by the shortest route from the runway, but in a vector, which is directed to the edge of the runway, but over a longer distance over the runway leads. In other words, tonnages of snow etc. are not pushed directly at right angles to the runway direction, but only over a longer distance in the direction of flight, only to leave the runway after several 100 meters. This costs time or impact.

An improvement of the current state with its history, in the form of a complete abolition of the problem seems not without the present invention in sight and so the air traffic despite sophisticated de-icing for the aircraft itself and many other to be appreciated individual aspects still exposed to the weather.

The development of, for example, self-propelled deicing elephants and many other implements has solved major problems, but snowy and contaminated runways have become the main problem, see above. Even if the chemical promises a remedy, the dependency only shifts, as you could see in the delivery bottlenecks of the raw material deicing liquid at the beginning of 2006, and the flight operations again came to a standstill. The daily damage caused by a onset of winter can only be quantified in millions of dollars. But also impurities such as dust and tire abrasion, which accumulates on the runway in the summer months and long dry periods or lost components of aircraft, etc. can cause serious consequences. The crash of a Concorde in Paris, perhaps the decommissioning of the Concorde and countless other incidents and damage could have been avoided, even if during the day permanently and prophylactically an at least sequential cleaning of the runway would have taken place. But also immediately above, next to or on the runway or in the air foreign objects such as birds or birds swarms or other animals, which are on or beside the runway on the ground and are startled by an approaching airplane, find the way again and again into sensitive engines , barometric instruments and the like. The damage and consequences are immense.

The present invention solves the problems described and improves the current status of contaminated runways, etc., such that pilots, airlines and airport operators may experience difficulties and disabilities of the past. The currently weakest link in the chain (for example, the unsafe runway conditions in winter) could become the strongest in the foreseeable future, always guaranteeing open, operational and clean runways.

The schematic representation of Fig. 2 illustrates an embodiment of the method according to the invention. At the runway 10, snow removal equipment 22 is ready in the form of two vehicles behind a security line 24. Furthermore, behind this safety line 24, an aircraft 26 waiting to cross the active runway 10 is ready on the ground. The snow groomer (s) 22, which is waiting for a task, receive a similar operation to the ground-waiting aircraft 26, e.g. directly or indirectly from the tower (air traffic controllers) clearance to cross the runway 10 after a landing aircraft 28 has passed. A lower security line 30 parallel to the upper security line 24 preferably has the same distance to the runway 10 as this and runs like the upper security line 24 parallel to the runway 10. The security lines 24 and 30 define, for example, the distance of the clearing devices 22 from the runway 10 and the Distance waiting aircraft 26 from the runway, as long as active, ie landing or takeoff aircraft 28 can pass the runway 10.

In this situation, e.g. the announcement comes via radio: "Aircraft 26 and

Snow Removal Group, after landing Traffic on Short Final cross Runway 10 "Feedback or confirmation is possibly similar to the rolling aircraft 26 by the Snow removal Group SRG:" Snow Removal Group, after landing Traffic on short final, cross runway 10 ". All participants listening to the same frequency are informed. It can be ensured by means of suitable messages that the clearing vehicles 22 only pass the track 10 when it has been explicitly released by way of announcements.

, The illustration of Fig. 3 illustrates a situation after the aircraft 28 has landed and the snow removal equipment 22 and the waiting aircraft 26 has passed on the ground. Once this is the case, the vehicles 22 and the aircraft 26 sit in Moving and crossing the runway 10. In doing so, the snowplough 22s use their tools such as snow blades, ice scrapers, ice crushers, brooms and / or thawing or deicing liquid sprayers or other spreaders for, for example, sand or salt when driving over the runway 10.

The further schematic representation of Fig. 4 illustrates a situation after a crossing of the runway 10 by the clearing vehicles 22. After the use of the snow removal equipment 22 on the runway 10 these remove at excavated tools similar to the rolling aircraft 26 on the ground or already landed Aircraft 28 from the runway past the security line 30 (right). Depending on the working width and number of snow removal equipment 22 or groups, the entire runway 10 could now be vacated. In this description example, however, it should be illustrated how only a few clearing devices 22 could be used. As a result, a first section of the runway 10 is now cleared and possibly treated with deicing fluid. Another aircraft 32 approaches the runway 10, more landing aircraft (not shown) follow with possibly minimum distance.

The further schematic representation of Fig. 5 illustrates the situation in which the snow removal device 22 or the group (s) of snow removal vehicles 22 again brings behind the now right-hand safety line 30 in position for re-crossing the runway 10. The vehicles 22 now wait until the landing further aircraft 32 has passed. This can mean only a turning maneuver for the vehicles 22 (see Fig. 6) or a turning maneuver in combination with a distance offset corresponding to the length of the runway length section cleared in one operation (see Fig. 7), depending on the angle at which the Runway 10 is removed (Fig. 6, angle α) and approached (Fig. 6, angle ß), and depending on how much working width is available, the still necessary parallel path can vary behind the safety line 30.

The process according to FIGS. 2 to 5 can start from the beginning, only with the difference that now a next runway section is being cleaned.

The schematic representation of FIG. 7a illustrates a variant with a total of three Snow Removal groups 22, so that after only two planes landing in a normal approach stagger, the runway 10 can be completely cleared and / or treated. This would mean that a complete clearance of the runway 10 could take less than three minutes, without any obstruction of the current flight operations would be involved. The first travel path 34 of a first clearing vehicle (not shown, explanation see Fig. 7b) extends with an additional path parallel to The second travel path 36 of a second clearing vehicle (not illustrated, explanation see Fig. 7b) also extends with an additional path parallel to the longitudinal direction of the web 10. The third drive path 38 of a third clearing vehicle (not shown; Fig. 7b) in turn extends with an additional path parallel to the longitudinal direction of the web 10, so that the three clearing vehicles can move largely synchronously on each parallel tracks.

The schematic representation of Fig. 8 describes the routes of a total of four groups of clearing vehicles, with groups 1 and 2 clearing half of runway 10 in two cycles and groups 3 and 4 covering the other half of runway 10 in two cycles vacate or treat. The timing is determined by the landing or take-off aircraft. In low-flying operation, the clearing vehicles can cross the Runway 10 several times for cleaning or treating between two consecutive aircraft. The more flight operations and the more snowfall or precipitation takes place, the more devices or groups can be used on the more sections of the runway 10 to this in the shortest possible time and with the least possible impairment of flight and / or driving to clear the airfield.

The schematic representation of FIG. 9 illustrates a clearing strategy, in which the clearing vehicles do not clear or treat the runway 10 at right angles to the runway longitudinal direction, but with a sufficient working width or low snow masses, low precipitation, etc. a correspondingly longer distance during a crossing on the runway 10. The crossing of the runway 10 takes place in each case at an acute angle to the longitudinal direction of the runway 10. Taxiways are hereby designated by the reference numeral 40.

The representation of FIG. 10 illustrates a further alternative variant of the invention

Räumverfahrens. In the event of very low snowfall, a single clearing vehicle or a single group may be sufficient to completely clear a runway 10 during flight operations by a defined number of crossings. The clearing vehicle can then drive back to Runwayanfang. If a light snowfall require a complete clearing of the runway, for example, every 60 minutes, the utilization of the clearing vehicles can be controlled by targeted variation of the number of vehicles and working width of the clearing vehicles in such a way that by a corresponding number of vehicles in time with the flight operation just in 60 minutes Runway once completely cleared or can be treated. If the rainfall increases, you can More and more vehicles and / or more groups of vehicles are "threaded" during operation, so that a runway can be evacuated and treated steplessly and at a higher frequency without affecting flight operations.

In the individual figures, it is shown how the paths of one or more simultaneously used snow removal vehicles or snow removal groups may look, with the essential feature that the actual clearing or handling of the runway does not and not parallel to Runway direction takes place, but in a different angle.

The further FIGS. 11 to 17 illustrate various graphical representations of clearing strategies and comparisons of comparisons of an actual state (conventional clearing methods) with measured time sequences when carrying out the method according to the invention (so-called transverse method).

Other aspects of the method according to the invention may, for example, be that the working sounds, the movements of the implements or special

Deterrence sounds or deterrents (e.g., by optical means) installed on the work machines may be used to keep animals of any sort from taking off or landing aircraft. Bird strike risk is minimized for aircraft and their engines, gauges, etc.

The operators of the cleaning vehicles can due to the permanent, closely spaced crossings parallel during the cleaning activity or during the entire stay at the runway identify sources of danger for aircraft and report promptly.

The advantages which result from the new method described according to the invention are, for example:

No unnecessary kerosene purchasing, transportation and consumption through waiting loops, diversions, return flights, etc., as a stable approach planning can be guaranteed as in summer. Similar to CAT HIB criteria, the reliability of a runway could be maintained even during a winter break.

• No unloading of cargo and passengers at the departure airport due to unscheduled payload reductions. • Reduction of expensive queues and associated operating hours (A340 costs approx. 10.000, - EUR / hour, B747 costs approx. 15.000, - € Jh).

• Compliance with schedules, approach sequences, arrival and departure times, etc.

Maximizing the runway availability for flight operations even in heavy snowfall etc.

Minimizing the risk of accidents by optimizing the runway condition or minimizing contamination.

Avoiding diversions due to winter storms.

• Avoiding unscheduled overnight stays by passengers at the stopover airport at the expense of airlines or passengers.

Avoidance of baggage and cargo irregularities.

Avoidance of luggage counterclaims and claims for compensation.

Avoidance of kerosene supply bottlenecks on non-multiple old jets.

• Avoid de-icing bottlenecks on non-large-format journals.

Avoid slot delays of aircraft taking off due to landing capacity bottlenecks.

• Avoiding aircraft double de-icing due to elapsed hold-over times caused by launch capacity bottlenecks.

• Avoiding service time overruns and service extension of flight crews.

Avoiding diversions and follow-up costs such as handling, technology, air traffic control, 20 flight planning, replacement crews, transfer costs to hotels and hotel accommodation for crew and passengers, replacement aircraft, etc.

Avoidance of exponentiation and accumulation of delays eg of LVO (Low Visibility Operation) and Snow Removal. Avoidance of accumulations of snow masses etc. and associated decision difficulties, when a train must be closed for safety reasons.

• Avoiding only partially cleared lanes, and resolving the conflict that on slippery tracks in winter less runway length and cleared runway width are available, but width and length are needed exactly in this situation in winter.

No major haircuts due to poorer grip of the aircraft tires in winter than in summer (the grip of comparable summer tires with a specific rubber compound is worsened in winter solely due to the temperatures.) A change of the aircraft tires to winter with a different rubber compound does not occur). A further deterioration of the situation in winter by only partially clearing the tracks can be avoided.

• No landing delays when the wind turns by changing the runway direction but the limiting factor is the Snow Removal in the opposite direction.

Minimization of runway occupancy time due to worse deceleration coefficients and long rollouts of the landing aircraft.

No unnecessary go-arounds from follow-on aircraft.

• No unnecessary risk-taking under stress of all participants, be it the

A pilot who imitates the landing predecessor and lands on a snow-covered runway, or the person in charge of the tower, who bases his landing clearance on verbal radio messages from the pilots about the braking behavior.

• No raw and start clearances on snow-covered taxiways and tracks more necessary. Aircraft with more than 200,000 liters of kerosene on board should not be put on ice or on the snow. The lanes could remain vacant even during normal operation.

• Minimizing the risk of accidents by constantly safe grip and minimizing recovery costs. No additional stress and stress on crews at the end of a service through contaminated runways and associated decision-making in fractions of seconds.

Maintenance and ensuring the function of any existing runway groofings.

Prevention of engine damage due to overheating due to required reverse thrust to standstill of the aircraft.

Increasing the reliability and safety of flight operations even in heavy snowfall.

• Avoidance of foreign object damage (FOD), foreign object damage to aircraft.

Hereinafter some aspects of the present invention will be summarized and emphasized again. It is essentially a procedure for clearing, cleaning or treating runways with the following steps:

Step 1:

At the runway there is a cleaning unit similar to that used to cross the active runway waiting aircraft on the ground e.g. ready behind any prescribed or defined security line.

Step 2:

After an aircraft has landed, started or started and the cleaning unit has passed, the cleaning unit crosses the possibly prescribed (possibly only imaginary) safety line and the runway. The cleaning unit over the runway sets its tools such as Snow blade, ice scraper, icebreaker, broom and or deicing fluids, binders or the like and cleans the runway. The crossing of the runway takes place here with the essential feature that the actual broaching or handling of the runway does not take place parallel to the runway direction, but at a different angle.

Step 3: After using the cleaning unit above the runway this moves away from the runway behind a possibly defined defined safety line, preferably behind the opposite (eg right) with excavated tools. Depending on the working width and number of cleaning groups, the entire runway could now be cleaned.

A variant of the method comprises the following features:

In the event that the runway has been only partially cleaned due to insufficient working widths or too few or too small cleaning units, the following step follows:

Step 4:

The cleaning unit or group of vehicles re-positions itself behind the possibly required safety line to re-cross the runway. This can only mean a turning maneuver or a turning maneuver in combination with a distance offset corresponding to the length of the runway length section cleared in one operation. Depending on the angle at which the runway is approached and approached.

Subsequently, steps 1 to 4 are repeated until the desired runway surface has undergone a cleaning cycle and / or the desired degree of cleaning has been achieved on the desired runway surface. This can e.g. In continuous snowfall lead to an endless loop or permanent repetition of the above steps.

Another variant of the procedure provides that, depending on

contamination,

Accumulation of contamination per unit time,

desired runway surface to be cleaned, cleaning intervals per unit of time for the desired runway surface to be cleaned,

desired degree of cleaning,

Availability of cleaning equipment or personnel

the use of tools and means (such as deicing fluids, activators or binders), the working width of a cleaning unit the number of vehicles one Cleaning unit The working width of a cleaning vehicle The handling speed of the equipment over the runway can be varied depending on the surface condition (eg presence of cross grooves to be cleaned, presence of stuck snow or ice tracks to be removed). (eg, crossing the runway quickly on loose snow, crossing the runway slowly when the snow is stuck), the number of cleaning units can be varied.

In a further variant of the method it can be provided that the vehicles or units positioned substantially in the first or fourth character wait for an order command or release (or agreement) to cross the runway, thus avoiding uncontrolled collisions, safety distances primarily for flight operations complied with and impediments to flight operations are prevented.

In addition, in a further variant of the method according to the invention, provision can be made for the vehicles, participants of the cleaning units or the lead vehicle of the cleaning unit to receive or follow and / or follow direct or indirect instructions for moving similar to aircraft.

A preferred variant of the method may additionally provide that the working sounds, the movements of the working tools or special deterrent sounds or deterrents, e.g. By optical means, which are installed on the working machines, in parallel ensure that animals of any kind of take-off or landing aircraft keep away.

Furthermore, the cleaning personnel can parallel during the cleaning activity or during the entire stay at the runway identified sources of danger for aircraft and report promptly.

A further variant of the method provides that not the air traffic has priority over the cleaning vehicles or cleaning units, but the cleaning vehicles and cleaning units to aircraft.

In addition, a method may provide that the angle for crossing the runway by the cleaning vehicles or cleaning units, the relative angle of any existing runway Groofings (grooves) is adapted to the runway and a thorough cleaning of transverse grooves (transverse to landing or Starting direction of aircraft). There may be one or more leading vehicles, one or more working widths entrained / entrained, and the offset in turning due to the particular working width or sum of working widths by multiple vehicles passing through a leading vehicle be used so that the entire (sum of) working width (s) is used after the turning maneuver for clearing or treating the runway, and / or the entire desired route, in a way, or is automatically run, the in the agriculture well-known precision farming or automatic steering (eg by means of GPS) is similar, which means that with the technique for automatically steering vehicles on agricultural fields in the present application, the method described even in the densest snowfall, fog, darkness and the like and can be performed reliably, and a threading and unthreading of partial working widths as needed can take place without interference with the desired effect. The entire route, which is required to clear the runway completely or several times (overlaps are also exactly definable), can thus be driven by means of automatic steering.

Claims

claims

A method of cleaning, and / or clearing an elongate, especially rectilinear, fixed path, in particular a runway and / or takeoff and / or runway of an airfield which is frequented longitudinally at successive irregular intervals of take-off or landing aircraft, wherein cleaning or clearing movements of at least a length of the web with a defined working width at an oblique or vertical angle to the longitudinal direction of the web and in cycles of two or more similar, successive cleaning or clearing and / or movements of at least one clearing device are performed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning or clearing movements are formed by a plurality of, parallel to each other and about the working width laterally offset to the longitudinal direction of the web cleaning or clearing movements.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein a cleaning and / or

Clearing movement in each case a return movement in the opposite direction without cleaning or evacuation and in turn followed by a laterally offset cleaning and / or clearing movement in the same direction to the previous clearing movements.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein a cleaning and / or

Clearing movement in one direction in each case a laterally offset further cleaning and / or clearing movement in the opposite direction and in turn followed by a laterally offset cleaning and / or broaching movement in the same direction to the previous clearing movement.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein two or more cleaning and / or Räumbewegungen are performed simultaneously and / or time-delayed at different locations along the longitudinal direction of the web.

6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the web by means of at least one cleaning and / or clearing vehicle and / or device, in particular by means of two, three or more the train at the same time and / or driving time

Cleaning and / or clearing vehicles and / or over the web moving cleaning and / or clearing equipment is cleaned and / or cleared.

A method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one cleaning and / or clearance vehicle and / or implement is placed longitudinally by aircraft at the edge of the track or spaced from the track during use of the web.

8. The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein the web or web sections until just prior to their use in the longitudinal direction and / or immediately after a

Use in the longitudinal direction at an angle or perpendicular angle to the longitudinal direction of the web cleaned and / or cleared / are.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein at least one already passed portion of the web while using other sections in the longitudinal direction by an aircraft by one or more cleaning and / or Räumfahrzeuge and / or - devices cleared and / or cleaned.

10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the cleaning and / or clearing vehicles are directed by optical and / or satellite-based lane guidance systems in defined paths.