RU2510082C2 - Method of controlling distance between lead aircraft and trail aircraft during flight on route with altitude separation - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: radio engineering, communication.

SUBSTANCE: invention is intended for use when solving the task of controlling distance between lead aircraft and trail aircraft in both emergency situations, associated with failure of standard equipment for measuring distance, and in conditions when said equipment is not turned on for security reasons. Distance is controlled using the radar warning receiver (RWR) systems of the aircraft and onboard radio sources (ORS) installed on the lead and trail aircraft. Frequencies of the ORS are entered into the RWR databank in advance and their spread should be 500-1000 MHz. When controlling distance onboard the trail aircraft, the ORS on the lead aircraft are turned on to emit signals and ORS power is turned off on the trail aircraft and the ORS of the lead aircraft, parameters of which were entered into the RWR databank in advance, are set as the priority target for the RWR. Signals of the ORS transmitter are received onboard the trail aircraft and transmitted to the RWR direction-finding equipment. Angular directions to the ORS on the lead aircraft are determined in the vertical and horizontal planes and the lead aircraft is identified from the values of the measured frequency. The distance and interval to the lead aircraft are calculated using the angular positions of the ORS of the lead aircraft in the horizontal and vertical planes determined from the RWR indicator and the difference in flight altitude of the lead and trail aircraft. Values of the flight altitude of the lead aircraft needed to calculate difference in altitude are transmitted to the trail aircraft at the request thereof. When controlling distance onboard the lead aircraft, angular coordinates of the trail aircraft are determined using the RWR of the lead aircraft based on signals of the ORS of the trail aircraft.

EFFECT: method provides accuracy of determining linear distances between lead and trail aircraft which is sufficient for safe air navigation on a route.

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Description

The invention relates to the field of aircraft control systems and can be used to solve the problem of ensuring control of the distance between the leading and the driven aircraft during flight along the route both in emergency situations associated with the failure of standard onboard distance measuring devices (airborne radar stations), and in conditions when, for reasons of secrecy, airborne radar stations cannot be switched on to radiation. Maintaining the given distances between aircraft during flights as part of a group during the day in difficult weather conditions and at night is the most important condition for ensuring flight safety along the route. For this purpose, no less than safe distances should be established, controlled and maintained between the aircraft. The effectiveness of any means of monitoring distances between aircraft depends on the type of means used to measure the actual distances between aircraft and their performance. The performance of measuring instruments may be impaired as a result of failures of technical equipment and their elements. Therefore, the task of ensuring control of distances between aircraft in emergency situations associated with the failure of regular on-board means of measuring the distance between aircraft is the most important task of ensuring the safety of aircraft flights in any type of aviation. At the same time, the tasks of controlling distances between aircraft during flight along the route in the event of failure of on-board distance measuring devices should be solved, first of all, by using other standard equipment capable of replacing failed means and ensuring control of distances between aircraft. In the air force, such equipment can be used for an aircraft radar warning (STR) station, installed on all types of aircraft [Radar Warning Station, TsKBA website /main.php? id = 23]

There is a method of controlling the distance between planes when flying along a route, which consists in periodically updating the actual distance between planes by determining the time of flight of a predetermined boundary (reference point) by all the planes of the group, while the distance measurement by slave planes is usually carried out relative to the leading plane using teams [Reference pilot and navigator. Ed. merit military man. navigator of the USSR aviation lieutenant general M.V. Lavsky. - M .: Military Publishing House, 1974, p. 389].

The disadvantage of this method of controlling the distance between aircraft is that in difficult weather conditions and in the event of failure (failure) of on-board monitoring aids of reference points (radar stations, optical-electronic sights, etc.) it cannot be implemented .

The closest in essence and the achieved effect is a method of controlling the distances between the leading and the driven aircraft during flight along the route with separation in height, which consists in periodically determining the linear distance between the aircraft [Reference pilot and navigator, ed. merit military man. navigator of the USSR aviation lieutenant general M.V. Lavsky. - M .: Military Publishing House, 1974, p. 389] using onboard equipment of aircraft. As such equipment, as a rule, radars or laser range finders are used, which make it possible to directly measure the linear distances between aircraft. This method is adopted in the future as a prototype.

The main disadvantage of this method is that it cannot be performed in case of aircraft radar failures. In addition, this method of controlling distances between aircraft when using radar can unmask the battle formations of airplanes due to the high power of the emitted signals from these radars.

The technical task of the present invention is to provide the ability to control distances between the leading and the driven aircraft during flight along the route with separation in height in case of radar failures of the driven aircraft or when it is impossible to use the radar to measure the distance to the leading aircraft.

The problem is solved due to the fact that in the known method of controlling distances between the leading and the driven aircraft during flight along the route with separation in height, which consists in periodically determining the linear distance between the aircraft using the aircraft's onboard equipment, it is new that for periodic determination of the linear the distance between the planes measure the angular directions to the leading aircraft and determine the distance and interval between the planes in the horizontal plane using the standard radar warning (STR) stations for a driven aircraft with azimuth and elevation direction finding channels and low-power on-board radio emission sources (BIRI) located on the host and slave aircraft and operating in the STR frequency range at separated frequencies, the values of which are pre-recorded in the data bank STR, moreover, on board the slave aircraft using the STR, the leading aircraft is identified by the BIRI frequency measured by the STR, the angular direction in the sectors of the STR overview is determined from the azimuth of 0 ± 60 degrees , and according to the elevation angle of 0 ± 30 degrees on the BIRI, placed on the leading aircraft, and calculate the distance (D) and the interval (I) from the leading aircraft in the horizontal plane using, based on the STR indicator, the angular positions of its BIRI in horizontal (α _g ) and vertical (α _in ) planes by the formulas

$$И=\frac{\Delta Н}{tg\alpha {}_B}\cdot \sin {\alpha }_{Г}$$

где $$D=\frac{\Delta N}{tg\alpha {}_B}\cdot \cos {\alpha }_G,$$

$$\mathrm{AND}=\frac{\Delta N}{tg\alpha {}_B}\cdot \sin {\alpha }_G$$

Where

ΔН is the difference in the flight heights of the leading and the driven aircraft, while ΔН is determined by subtracting from the altitude displayed on the altimeter of the aircraft flying at a higher altitude, the height of the aircraft indicated on the altimeter of the airplane flying at a lower height, and the values of the altitude of the leading aircraft necessary for calculating ΔН are transmitted to the slave aircraft upon request.

Thus, the proposed method of distance control provides the ability to determine the distance and interval between the leading and the driven aircraft in case of radar failure of the driven aircraft or when it is impossible to use the radar to measure the distance to the leading aircraft.

The solution has a new property - the ability to provide control of the distance and interval between planes in the event of failure of their onboard radars or the inability to use them due to the use of the standard STR and two continuously operating at separated frequencies, covered by the frequency range of the STR, of the onboard radio emission sources placed on the planes and a special algorithm for determining the distance and interval to the leading aircraft, implemented in the on-board computer.

In this case, the use of BIRI, placed on the lead and slave aircraft, allows you to control the distance between the aircraft from the side of both the slave and the leading aircraft, and in the latter case, the angular coordinates of the slave aircraft are determined using the STR of the leading aircraft according to the BIRI signals of the slave aircraft received from the rear hemisphere of the leading aircraft and displayed in the tail sector of its STR.

Figure 1 presents the structural diagram of a system for implementing the proposed method. Figure 2 shows a diagram showing the spatial position of the aircraft, the parameters characterizing the relative position of the aircraft and the angular parameters determined by the STR of the slave aircraft.

The system diagram for the implementation of the proposed method consists of a leading aircraft 1, a driven aircraft 2 and located on these aircraft 1, 2: radar warning station (STR) - 3.1, 3.2 of the leading and driven planes, respectively, antennas of the STR of the rear hemisphere (AZ) master and slave aircraft, respectively - 4.1, 4.2, antennas STRs of the front hemisphere (AP) of the master and slave aircraft, respectively - 5.1, 5.2, control devices (CU) of the master and slave aircraft, respectively - 6.1, 6.2, transmitting antennas (PAB ) airborne chnika radio emission (Beery)) master and slave aircraft, respectively - 7.1, 7.2, Beery master and slave aircraft, respectively - 8.1 and 8.2. The analysis of the prior art, including a search by patent and scientific and technical sources of information, and identification of sources containing information about analogues of the claimed inventions, allowed us to establish that the applicant did not find analogues characterized by features identical to all the essential features of the proposed method for controlling distances between the slave and leading aircraft. The selection from the list of identified analogues of prototypes, as the closest in the aggregate of the essential features of the analogue, allowed to identify the set of essential in relation to the formulated technical result of the features in the claimed method, which are set forth in the claims. Therefore, the claimed invention meets the criterion of "novelty."

To verify the compliance of the claimed invention with the criterion of "inventive step", a search and analysis of known technical solutions was carried out in order to identify signs that match the features of the proposed method for controlling distances between the slave and the leading aircraft. The search results showed that the claimed invention does not follow explicitly from the prior art determined by the applicant. The claimed invention does not provide for the following transformations:

supplementing the known means with any known unit attached to it according to known rules to achieve a technical result;

replacing any part of the known means with another known part to achieve a technical result;

the increase in the same type of elements to achieve the formulated technical result;

the creation of a tool consisting of known parts, the choice of which and the relationship between them is carried out according to well-known rules, and the technical result achieved in this case is due only to the known properties of the parts of this tool and the relationships between them.

Therefore, the claimed invention meets the criterion of "Inventive step".

The proposed solution meets the criterion of "industrial applicability", since the combination of characteristics characterizing it provides the possibility of its existence, performance and reproducibility, since well-known materials and equipment can be used to implement the proposed solution.

The method of controlling distances between the leading and the driven aircraft during flight along the route with separation in height is implemented as follows.

To control the distances between the leading and the slave aircraft in case of radar failures or the impossibility of its application, STRs 3.1, 3.2 and two BIRI 8.1, 8.2 are used, operating at separated frequencies, overlapped by the STR frequency range, and placed on the leading 1 and slave 2 aircraft. Moreover, the frequencies of BIRI 8.1, 8.2 are pre-recorded in the database of STRs 3.1, 3.2 and their separation should be 500-1000 MHz (for example, the frequency of BIRI 8.1, placed on the lead aircraft 1, may be 8 GHz, and BIRI 8.2, placed on the driven aircraft 2 -9 GHz).

Moreover, the use of BIRI 8.1 and 8.2, placed on the leading 1 and slave 2 aircraft, respectively, allows you to control the distances to the aircraft from both the slave 2 and the leading 1 aircraft, and in the latter case, the angular coordinates of the slave aircraft 2 are determined using STR 3.1 leading aircraft 1 by the signals BIRI 8.2 of the driven aircraft 2, received from the rear hemisphere of the leading aircraft 1 by the antenna STR of the rear hemisphere AZ 4.1 and indicated in the tail sector of its STR 3.1. For concreteness, only control of the distance from the board of the slave aircraft 2 is considered below. In this case, using the UI 6.1 on the host aircraft 1, BIRI 8.1 is turned on to emit signals, and on the slave aircraft 2, the power of BIRI 8.2 is turned off and, as a priority The goals for STR 3.2 are set by BIRI 8.1, the parameters of which have already been entered into the database of STR 3.2.

On board a slave aircraft 2, when flying along a route with a vertical separation, the HF antenna of the front hemisphere AP 5.2 receives the BIRI 8.1 transmitter signals emitted by PAB 7.1 and transmits them to direction finding equipment of HSS 3.2, which determines the angular directions in the vertical and horizontal plane to BIRI 8.1 , located on the lead aircraft 1, in the sectors of the observation of STR 3.2 in azimuth 0 ± 60 degrees, and in elevation 0 ± 30 degrees, and the leading aircraft 1 is identified (recognized) by the measured frequency values ... Directions to BIRI 8.1 display are located on the corresponding sectors of the indicator of ACT 3.2 and correspond to the angular position of BIRI 8.1 in the sector of 60 degrees, in the front and rear hemispheres with an accuracy of 2 degrees (direction finding) [Radar warning station, TsKBA website / main, php? id = 23]. Using the angular positions of BIRI 8.1 of the leading aircraft 1 defined in the indicator of STRs 3.2 in the horizontal (α _g ) and vertical (α _in ) planes and the difference in the flight heights of the flight of the leading and driven aircraft, the distance (D) and the interval (I) to the leading are calculated airplane 1 according to the formulas

$$D=\frac{\Delta N}{tg\alpha {}_B}\cdot \cos {\alpha }_G,\mathrm{AND}=\frac{\Delta N}{tg\alpha {}_B}\cdot \sin {\alpha }_G$$

the height difference ΔH of the flight of the aircraft is determined by subtracting from the altitude displayed on the altimeter of the aircraft flying at a higher altitude, the altitude of the aircraft indicated on the altimeter of the airplane flying at a lower height, and the values of the height of the leading aircraft 1 necessary to calculate the value ΔН are transmitted to slave aircraft 2 upon request.

Thus, the claimed method of controlling the distances between the slave and the leading aircraft provides a solution to the problem of determining the distance and interval between the aircraft in the event of failure of their onboard radars or the inability to use the radar due to the use for determining the distances of standard STR and two continuously spaced frequencies overlapped by the frequency range of STR , on-board sources of radio emission placed on airplanes, and a special algorithm for determining the distance and interval to the leading aircraft, which can t be implemented in the onboard computer.

Let us conduct a quantitative analysis of the accuracy characteristics of the proposed method for controlling distances between the leading and the driven aircraft during flight along the route with separation in height. Considering the known limitations of the elevation method for determining the distance to a radiating object, in particular the relatively small range within which satisfactory accuracy of positioning can be ensured, taking into account the actually achievable error in measuring angular coordinates, we estimate the errors (mean square error (RMS)) of determining the distance to the leading aircraft with the help of a driven aircraft STR for typical values of the characteristics of the STR [Radar Warning Station, Inter a site CKBA / main, php? id = 23]] and distances between airplanes [Pilot and Navigator Handbook, ed. merit military man. navigator of the USSR aviation lieutenant general M.V. Lavsky. - M .: Military Publishing House, 1974, p. 389]. The standard deviation for determining the distance to the leading aircraft by the elevation method can be calculated by the formula [Melnikov Yu.P., Popov SV Radio intelligence. Methods for assessing the effectiveness of the determination of radiation sources. - M .: "Radio Engineering", 2008. - 271 s: silt]

$${\sigma }_d={\sigma }_{\mathrm{at}}\cdot \frac{{\mathrm{<figure-callout\; id="2"\; label="D\; n"\; filenames="00000006.png,00000007.png"\; state="\{\{state\}\}">D\; </figure-callout>}}_n^{}}{\Delta N},\text{(one)}$$

where σ _y , D _n , ΔН - standard deviation for determining the angular coordinates of the leading aircraft using the STR of the driven aircraft, the slant range to the leading aircraft and the difference in the flight heights of the aircraft, respectively.

Calculations by the formula (1) show that for typical parameters of the combat order of aircraft (distances between aircraft (300 ... 500) m, separation in height (200 ... 300) m. And with the standard deviation of direction finding of the STR of the driven aircraft, BIRI radiation of the leading aircraft in horizontal and a vertical plane equal to 2 degrees, the RMS values for determining the distance to the lead aircraft will be (15.3-10.2) m at a distance of 300 m from the lead aircraft and (42.5-28.3) m at a distance of 500 m. will exceed (5-8.5)% of the actual range to uschego aircraft, which will, in the context of non-radar, maintain a safe distance and spacing to the lead aircraft using their inspection results on the data from the ACT driven aircraft.

An analysis of the results shows that the proposed method for monitoring distances between the lead and slave aircraft in emergency situations (in case of onboard radar failures) provides sufficient accuracy for determining the linear distances between the lead and slave aircraft for safe navigation along the route and can be considered as a backup way to control the distance for many types of air force aircraft.

The above information indicates the possibility of the implementation of the claimed method of controlling the distance between the leading and the driven aircraft of the following set of conditions:

the proposed method of controlling distances between the leading and the driven aircraft during its implementation will allow determining the distance and interval between the aircraft in the event of failure of their airborne radar or the inability to use the radar in order to increase the secrecy of the combat formation of aircraft;

the possibility of implementing the claimed method for controlling distances between the leading and the driven aircraft in the form described in the claims using the means and methods described in the application or known prior to the priority date is shown;

the proposed method of controlling distances between the leading and the driven aircraft, with its development is able to ensure the achievement of a technical result.

Claims (1)

The method of controlling the distances between the leading and the driven aircraft during flight along the route with separation in height, which consists in periodically determining the linear distance between the aircraft, characterized in that for periodically determining the linear distance between the aircraft, measure the angular directions to the leading aircraft and determine the distance and the interval between the aircraft in a horizontal plane with the help of a standard radar exposure warning (STR) station of a slave aircraft with azimuth and elevation direction finding channels, and low-power on-board sources of radio emission (BIRI), located on the host and slave aircraft and operating in the frequency range of STRs on spaced frequencies, the values of which are pre-recorded in the STR database, and on board the slave plane, the leading plane is identified using the STR the value of the BIRI frequency measured by the STR, determine the angular direction in the sectors of the survey of the STR in the azimuth of 0 ± 60 °, and the elevation angle of 0 ± 30 ° on the BIRI, located on the lead aircraft, and calculate the distance (D) and the interval (I) to the lead myself flight in the horizontal plane using, determined by the STR indicator, the angular positions of its BIRI in the horizontal (α _g ) and vertical (α _in ) planes according to the formulas
$$D=\frac{\Delta N}{tg\alpha {}_B}\cdot \cos {\alpha }_G,\mathrm{AND}=\frac{\Delta N}{tg\alpha {}_B}\cdot \sin {\alpha }_G$$

where ΔН - the difference in altitude of the leading and driven aircraft,
while ΔН is determined by subtracting from the altitude displayed on the altimeter of an airplane flying at a higher altitude, the altitude of the airplane indicated on the altimeter of an airplane flying at a lower altitude, and the altitude of the leading aircraft needed to calculate ΔН is transmitted to the slave aircraft upon request.

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