RU2191143C2 - Airfield light warning system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: air transport; airfield equipment. SUBSTANCE: proposed light warning system includes center-line light, barrier lights, edge lights and threshold lights of runway, touch- down zone lights and approach zone lights which are located along two convergent lines forming acute convergence angle whose vertex lies on runway axis at its beginning. Tangent of half convergence angle of line of approach zone lights is selected from the following expression:

Description

 The invention relates to aviation, and more particularly to aerodrome equipment, and can be used in light-signal equipment of an aerodrome to increase its information content and improve the perception of the pilot to increase the safety of landing aircraft in low visibility conditions.

 The airdrome aerodrome lighting system is known for providing landings according to ICAO categories I, II and III, which is the most common and accepted as standard (see Yu.G. Basov. "Light-signaling devices." M. Transport, 1993, p. 113.) . The system contains center line lights, restrictive, side, entrance runway (runway) lights, end-safety-zone lights, touchdown zone lights and approach zone lights. The lights of the approach zone are located in front of the entrance edge of the runway and usually include several rows of lights located along the runway axis on both sides of it and several rows of lights of different lengths located at different distances from the runway perpendicular to its axis.

Such a system is quite complex and cumbersome and at the same time does not provide the pilot with sufficiently complete visual information about the position of the aircraft relative to the runway at the final landing stage. At this, the most difficult stage of landing, piloting the aircraft is carried out by the pilot manually and visually. Therefore, at this time, the pilot needs visual information about the position of the aircraft relative to the runway in range, altitude and speed of descent. However, due to the large pitch angle at the leveling stage, the pilot does not see the lights located near the axis of the runway when landing such aircraft as F / A-18, Su-27, MiG-29 and does not see them enough when landing Boeing-type aircraft -767, Ty-204. In such conditions, the pilot’s gaze directed forward and to the side at 15-20 ^o tries to “catch on the ground” to get the missing information, which is not always possible. In addition, the accuracy of the perception of altitude and speed of descent by the pilot depends on the skills of the navigator, reading the height from the instruments. Moreover, the white color of the approaching lights requires several attempts to make out the horizon lines, which is also not always possible, especially in conditions of fog creating halos around the lights. In such conditions, given the transience of landing, its accuracy and safety largely depend on the skills of the crew.

 Thus, the known lighting system does not have sufficient information and does not provide sufficient safety landing, especially in difficult weather conditions.

 Known attempts to improve the lighting systems of airfields.

 Known NASA spectrally balanced chromatic light signal system, including center line lights, runway side and entrance lights, touchdown zone lights and approach zone lights (see US Pat. No. 4,291,294, Cl. 64 F 1/20, 1981). In it, the rows of lights of the approach and landing zones located on both sides of the runway axis are made in the form of red and blue flickering lights, chromatically balanced. Such a system can improve the perception of lights, especially in fog. However, the system retains the above disadvantages, which do not allow to ensure sufficient landing safety at its final stage.

 A known method and installation for the directional orientation of an aircraft during an approach by Britec (France) (see US patent 5136288, CL 64 F 1/18. 1992), including the installation of at least three lights on each side of the runway at her the input edge, made in such a way that during their work they create three light zones in the direction of the aircraft approaching, allowing it to occupy the correct position. However, this system only solves the problem of ensuring the correct approach with good visibility and does not provide sufficient safety for the aircraft landing at its final stage.

 A known system of approach and landing lights for an airplane (US Pat. No. 3,964,015, 1976), which includes, among other things, approach zone lights made in the form of two rows of elongated light strips that converge and intersect at the aiming point on the runway, and spotlights located inside the rows of oblong lights and above them. The indicated lights form two inclined planes passing through oblong and point lights intersecting in the center above the approach zone so that they form an exact aircraft approach path that is inclined and arriving at the aiming point (the assumed landing point on the runway).

 The disadvantage of such a light-signal system is its complexity, the strict determinism of its path both in the vertical and at the same time in the horizontal planes, which complicates the piloting process.

 Neither the pilot nor the autopilot is able to maintain the descent trajectory without deviations from the set values in the direction and height of the flight, and therefore, at the initial moment of detection in the fog of lights, the plane does not fall on the intersection of the light planes that determine the ideal landing trajectory, which the plane is not aligned along a predetermined path.

 In addition, under conditions of a meteorological minimum corresponding to category I ICAO and below, the remaining time reserve of 15–10 s remaining from the moment of approaching lights up to the start of alignment is too small to reach a given glide path of decline with a given vertical speed, but is sufficient to correct vertical rate of decline, which is only realistic at this moment and is required.

 Thus, the known light-signal systems of aerodromes do not have sufficient information content and do not ensure the safety of the final stage of aircraft landing, especially in conditions of atmospheric interference.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The objective of the invention is the creation of such a light-signal system of the airfield, which would allow the pilot to obtain visual information about the position of the aircraft relative to the touchdown point in range and relative to the given glide path of decrease in height at the final landing stage - manual control stage. In addition, the system should be simple in design, to ensure ease of perception by the pilot in a time-constrained environment. Thus, the system should provide a higher degree of safety landing aircraft.

In accordance with the invention, the task is achieved in that in the aerodrome lighting system, including center line lights, restrictive, side and entrance runway lights, landing zone and approach zone lights, proximity zone lights are made installed along two converging lines forming an acute angle of convergence, the top of which is located on the axis of the runway in its initial part, and the tangent of half the angle of convergence of the lines of approach zone lights is selected from the expression:
tgψ = Z / X = (3.6 ÷ 13.0) • tgα,
where ψ is half the angle of convergence of the lines of lights of the approach zone,
α is the angle of inclination of the installed glide path of the runway (runway),
Z is the distance from the axis of the runway to the fire of the approach zone,
X is the distance from the fire to the top of the convergence angle of the lights of the approach zone, taken along the axis of the runway.

 The value of the approach angle cannot be chosen less than indicated due to the fact that the proposed line of approach lights will be too close to the center line of the runway and may not be visible in the side windows of the landing aircraft. In addition, the indicated lines of approaching lights become close to parallel lines, which will not allow them to be used to control the glide path of descent, i.e. the effect of the invention is lost.

 When choosing a magnitude of the approach angle greater than the indicated, the approach lights turn out to be too far from the pilot, because of which they, on the one hand, may not be visible at a sufficient distance with limited visibility, on the other hand, they become close to an obtuse angle, which also make it difficult to use them to control the glide path of descent.

 It is advisable to place the lights of the approach zone up to the side lights of the runway.

 When approaching the runway, the pilot pilots the aircraft in such a way as to keep the lights appearing from the fog in the angular position in which they were detected during the transition from instrument to visual flight, which allows you to bring the aircraft into the landing zone regardless of its initial vertical position .

 This embodiment of the approach zone lights has a simple design, which makes it easier to accurately bring the aircraft to the runway.

List of drawings
The invention is illustrated by drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a diagram of light-signaling equipment of an ICAO Category I aerodrome equipped in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 2 shows a view from the cockpit when the aircraft moves below the glide path;
FIG. 3 shows a view from the cockpit while the aircraft is moving along a glide path;
FIG. 4 shows a view from the cockpit as the aircraft moves above the glide path.

Information confirming the possibility of carrying out the invention
The ICAO Category I aerodrome, equipped with light-signal lights in accordance with the invention, contains a runway (runway) 1 with the axis of the runway 2 (see figure 1). Lighting equipment includes:
- side lights 3, placed along both longitudinal edges of the runway and used to indicate the width of the runway;
- input lights 4, made with a green filter, installed along the threshold of the runway and designed to indicate its beginning;
- restrictive lights 5 with a red filter located along the end of the runway and designed to indicate its end.

In addition, the system is equipped with approach lights 6 located in front of the runway, between the near driving radio beacon and the start of the runway. The lights of approach zone 6 are made installed along two converging lines 7 and 8, forming an acute angle - a convergence angle of 2ψ. The top of the convergence angle - point "A" - is located on the axis of the runway in its initial part. It is advisable to place point "A" in the aircraft landing zone a little further (70-80 m) from the landing point so that the line of sight of the pilot’s eye, taking into account its height above the aircraft’s chassis, abuts it when the aircraft moves along the glide path adopted for this runway of the aerodrome . The bisector of the convergence angle coincides with the axis of the runway, as a result of which lines 7 and 8 are symmetrical about the axis of the runway and make up half of the convergence angle ψ with it. The angle of convergence of the lights of the proximity zone is such that the tangent of half the angle of convergence corresponds to the expression
tgψ = Z / X = (3.6 ÷ 13.0) • tgα,
where ψ is half the angle of convergence of the lines of lights of the approach zone,
α is the angle of inclination of the installed glide path of the runway (runway),
Z is the distance from the axis of the runway to the fire of the approach zone,
X is the distance from the fire to the top of the convergence angle of the lights of the approach zone, taken along the axis of the runway.

 The lights of approach zone 6 extend from the entrance edge of the runway in the direction of approach at a distance of ~ 900 - 1000 m. From the other end, the lights of the approach zone are located up to the side lights of the runway. In addition, the plane of location of the approaching lights is usually located horizontally at the level of the landing zone of the runway. The lights themselves are made in the form of spotlights of a ground location, placed in increments of ~ 30 m and deployed towards the approach.

 Converging lights of approach zone 6 can be supplemented by a central row of lights 10 located on the extension of the runway axis.

 To enhance the visibility, the lights of the proximity zone 6, made in the form of searchlights of a constant glow, can be supplemented by flashlights, for example, searchlights with capacitor discharge. Pulse lights can be placed along lines parallel to lines 7 and 8, or on lines 7, 8, between lights 6.

 ICAO category II and III aerodromes are equipped with additional light-signaling equipment: landing zone lights, runway center line lights, end-security lights. However, equipping them with proximity lights in accordance with the invention is performed similarly to the above.

 The landing of the aircraft at airfields equipped in accordance with the invention is as follows.

 When approaching the airfield, upon detecting signal lights, the pilot clarifies his position relative to the runway and glide path with the help of tools, after which he makes a landing approach, directing his plane to the supposed convergence point of the approach zone lights, i.e. to point "A". The position of the aircraft relative to a given descent glide path is controlled by the pilot according to the glide path indication system or according to descent speed. When approaching the runway at a distance of 800 - 1000 m or when reducing to a height of 90 - 50 m, the pilot switches to manual control, guided by the visual information received by him by perceiving the surroundings through the cockpit glazing. The view of the converging approaching lights along with the side lights of the runway enables the pilot to accurately assess the orientation of the aircraft relative to the axis of the runway, the distance to the landing zone and the presence of the roll of the aircraft. In addition, by the angle of convergence of the approaching lights, by its change, the pilot gets the opportunity to judge the position of the aircraft relative to the glide path, the change in the speed of descent. So, when moving along the glide path, the pilot sees from the cockpit a picture similar to Figure 3, when moving below the glide path - a picture similar to Figure 2, and when moving above the glide path - a picture similar to Figure 4. Moreover, by “holding” the picture of the converging approaching lights constant, such as the pilot saw it when approaching at the initial moment, while on the glide path, he will invariably bring the plane into the supposed landing zone on the runway.

 Thus, the proposed system of light-signaling equipment of the airfield allows the pilot to receive additional visual information at the final stage of approach and landing calculation, which makes it possible to make a more confident and accurate landing. This, in turn, leads to an increase in landing safety, especially in conditions of limited visibility, which makes it difficult for the pilot to perceive visual information.

 In addition, the system of lighting equipment is simplified by the absence of lines of lights of light horizons, several rows of axial lights, reducing the cost of its installation and maintenance.

Claims (2)

1. The aerodrome light-signaling system, including center line lights, restrictive, side and entrance runway (runway) lights, landing zone lights and approach zone lights, installed along two converging lines forming an acute convergence angle, the apex of which is located on the axis the runway in its initial part, characterized in that the tangent of half the angle of convergence of the lines of approach zone lights is selected from the expression
tgψ = Z / X = (3.6-13.0) • tgα,
where ψ is half the angle of convergence of the lines of lights of the approach zone;
α is the angle of inclination of the installed glide path of the runway;
Z is the distance from the axis of the runway to the fire of the approach zone;
X is the distance from the fire to the top of the convergence angle of the lights of the approach zone, taken along the axis of the runway.  2. The lighting system according to claim 1, characterized in that the lights of the proximity zone are located up to the side lights of the runway.

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