RU2549145C1 - Method of control of aircraft landing path at landing on programmed airfield - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: aircraft engineering.

SUBSTANCE: in method of control of the aircraft landing path a preliminary measurement by means of onboard systems of visual orientation of coordinates of the aircraft (AC) is performed with reference to any visually identified and programmed navigation point (NP) around airfield which in view of known NP parameters is used for correction of AC location of, and during the landing by means of onboard systems of visual orientation AC coordinates are measured with reference to near end of the runway which in view of known parameters of near end of the runway are used for clarification of AC position with reference to the landing path.

EFFECT: improvement of safety of aircraft flight.

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Description

The invention is intended for use in the field of aviation instrumentation, in particular in flight navigation equipment of aircraft (LA).

The landing phase is the most responsible and intense part of the flight of the aircraft. The proximity of the earth and contact with the surface of the runway (runway) requires high precision control of angular, speed and trajectory flight parameters.

Theoretical and practical aspects of the functioning of airborne and ground-based equipment ensuring the performance of aircraft landing are given in the following works:

1. Aviation radio navigation. Directory. Edited by A. Sosnovsky, Moscow: Transport, 1990.264.

2. Belogorodsky S.L. Automation of aircraft landing control, Moscow: Transport, 1972.352.

3. Vorobyov L.M. Air Navigation, Moscow: Engineering, 1984. 256.

4. Guskov Yu.P. Discrete-continuous control of the program output of aircraft, Moscow: Mashinostroenie, 1987.128.

5. I.I. Pomykaev, V.P. Seleznev, L.A. Dmitrochenko "Navigation Devices and Systems", M.: Mechanical Engineering, 1983.

6. O.A. Babich "Information processing in navigation systems", Moscow: Engineering, 1991.

7. Rogozhin V.O., Sineglazov V.M., Filyashkin M.K. Aircraft navigation and navigation systems, K.: NAU Book Publishing House, 2005 (in Ukrainian).

8. S.S. Rivkin, R.I. Ivanovsky, A.V. Kostrov "Statistical optimization of navigation systems", L .: Shipbuilding, 1976.

9. Reference pilot and navigator of civil navigation. Edited by Vasin I.F., Moscow: Transport, 1988.

10. F.V. Repnikov, G.P. Sachkov, A.I. Black Sea "Gyroscopic systems", M .: Engineering, 1983.

11. Alekseev A.N., Belyaev M.A., Nikulin A.S. et al. "Inertial-satellite landing mode". Abstracts of the All-Russian scientific and technical conference "Navigation, guidance and control of aircraft". M., Nauchtekhlitizdat, 2012. Pages 226-228.

12. Nikulin A.S. and other RF patent for the invention No. 2240589 with priority from 07/31/2003. The method of automatic control of the aircraft when entering the runway line.

At most modern aerodromes, the approach path is formed by the equal-signal zones of electromagnetic radiation of ground directional (CRM) and glide path (GRM) beacons, the intersection of which represents a given approach path. A detailed description of the processes and procedures for the formation of a given trajectory of the approach using the CRM and the timing is given in the books [1, 2, 4, 7, 9].

Known methods of controlling an aircraft (LA), realizing the withdrawal of the aircraft on a line directed along the longitudinal axis of the runway (runway) of the aerodrome when approaching [7, 12].

For automatic and manual control of the aircraft at the landing stage, diverse information on the parameters of its movement is required: course, roll, pitch, speed, coordinates, altitude, angular speeds, accelerations. Inertial navigation systems (ANS), airborne signal systems (AHS) and satellite navigation systems (SNA) have found the greatest application for measuring these parameters on board modern aircraft. Theoretical and practical aspects of the functioning of the ANN, SHS and SNA are reflected in books [3, 5, 7].

To increase the accuracy and reliability of determining navigation data, including at the landing stage, methods of integrated data processing from various systems that are physically different in principle are currently used, in particular, from ANNs, SHS, and SNSs. Various aspects of the application of some methods of complex processing of navigation data are reflected in books [5, 6, 7, 8].

Known control methods that implement the flight of an aircraft along a predetermined landing path. These methods provide the generation of control signals supplied to the controls of the angular position of the aircraft in order to output the aircraft into a given area of airspace with the specified parameters of the spatial position of the aircraft, where the crew makes a decision to land or to make a second approach.

Of the analogues described in the literature, close in technical essence is the method described in the book [7] "Flight-navigation systems of aircraft" in paragraphs 2.7 and 8.2.

In this method, the approach path is used, formed by the equal-signal zones of ground-based CRM and timing, the intersection of which represents a given landing path. A figure illustrating the process of forming a given landing trajectory by radiation of CRM and GRM is shown on page 52 of the book [7] (Fig. 2.6), a copy of which is presented in figure 1.

A feature of the method is the use of angular deviations from the trajectory rather than linear, for control: ε _g is the angular deviation of the aircraft from the plane of the glide path, ε _k is the angular deviation of the aircraft from the plane of the landing course.

Terrestrial beacon equipment for forming a landing path is quite expensive. To maintain it in working condition, it is necessary to regularly carry out expensive work on verification, calibration and adjustment. Therefore, as practice shows, far from all aerodromes are equipped with ground-based radio-technical landing equipment, and already installed equipment may be temporarily inoperative or malfunctioning.

The signals emitted by the SRM and the SRM, due to their radio-technical nature, are subject to distortions and interference associated with the nature of the underlying surface, the state of the atmosphere, the operation of external electrical and radio devices, etc. To counter the effect of such interference on the approach process in aircraft control systems, appropriate measures are applied, as a rule, they are filtered. However, the presence, at a particular point in time, of significant, non-calculated interference in the SRM and timing signals can lead to a deterioration in the characteristics of the entire control loop of the aircraft.

A known disadvantage of this method (p. 254 [7]) is also the non-stationary dynamic characteristics of the landing mode when using the angular parameters of the deviation of the center of mass of the aircraft from a given trajectory (ε _g , ε _k ). At different distances to the beacon, with the same linear deviations from the given landing path, the angular deviations have different values and, accordingly, at stationary amplification factors, make a different contribution to the resulting control signal. This can lead to a deterioration in the characteristics of the entire control loop; fluctuations may appear in the loop, which will increase as you approach the beacon. This is especially true for the glide path control loop, because The timing is located at the VGTP end closest to the aircraft (see Fig. 1).

These disadvantages are largely eliminated in the method presented in the work "Inertial-satellite landing mode" [11].

Therefore, taking into account the purpose of the invention, we believe that the prototype method is described simultaneously in the book [7] and work [11].

Taking into account only the essential features for the present invention, the prototype method includes measuring the parameters of the aircraft’s movement using autonomous navigation and flight sensors, for example, ANN and SHS, correcting the measured parameters of the aircraft’s movement according to the data from the SNA, forming a predetermined landing trajectory, with a given angle of inclination and coinciding in direction with the runway, relative to the virtual heading-glide path beacon (BPM) located below the standard position of the CRM on the continuation of the landing path, determination of bearing and elevation angles of BPM, determination of deviation angles along the course and glide path from the given landing path, generation of control signals for the angular position of the aircraft in roll and pitch, taking into account the deviation angles in the course and glide path and changing the angular position of the aircraft in accordance with the generated control signals.

Figures illustrating the process of forming a given landing trajectory in the horizontal and vertical planes, in accordance with the prototype method are presented in figure 2 and figure 3, respectively.

Using ANN and SHS, you can measure heading, roll, pitch, speed relative to the surface of the earth, location coordinates, height relative to sea level and height relative to the level of the airfield.

ANN and SHS are autonomous systems and provide continuous measurement of these parameters. However, quite significant errors may be present in their signals. To increase accuracy, data from the ANN and SHS are corrected according to data from the SNS.

SNAs are non-autonomous radio systems. With their help, you can measure the speed relative to the surface of the earth and the coordinates of the location of the aircraft with high accuracy.

Therefore, as a rule, onboard modern aircraft, the ANN and SHS signals, in order to solve navigation problems, are corrected according to data from the SNA using one of the methods of integrated information processing, for example, the optimal Kalman random signal filtering method (OFK). The OFC method is described in detail in the books [6, 7, 8].

In the process of implementing the automatic approach mode, the well-known laws of controlling the motion of the center of mass through the aircraft roll and pitch control loops are used. The book [7] on pages 255-256 gives examples of the laws of automatic control of aircraft by roll and pitch, in which, along with other signals, the signals are used to deviate the aircraft from a given path along the course ε _to and the glide path ε _g .

To implement the manual approach mode on the corresponding indicating instruments, simultaneously, in the form of vertically and horizontally oriented planks, deviation signals from a given trajectory are displayed along the course ε _to and the glide path ε _g .

The layout of the BPM relative to the runway in the horizontal plane is fully consistent with the standard layout of the KPM at the aerodrome, and in the vertical plane, the BPM is placed under the KPM on the continuation of the landing path.

In accordance with the standard layout of the radio equipment, the CRM is located on the extension of the runway axis at some distance from the far end of the runway. For different aerodromes, the distance ΔD of the _ASM varies, but, as a rule, it is 1000 m (see Fig. 1).

In the prototype method, the aircraft control procedure during the approach does not depend on the presence / serviceability at a particular airport of the airfield and the timing, the presence of random interference in the signals of the airfield and the timing and stability of the aircraft control process in the vertical plane at small distances to the landing point.

The prototype method provides the formation of a given landing path in the presence on board the aircraft of relevant information about the landing aerodrome, namely the coordinates of the far and near ends of the runway and their height relative to sea level. As a rule, this information is entered into the on-board equipment of modern aircraft during its pre-flight preparation and stored in the on-board electronic database. In modern airborne systems can store a lot of information about the set of navigation points (NT). In particular, detailed information about aerodromes is stored in the on-board electronic database. The entire set of information about NT makes up the so-called "flight program", and the aerodrome, information about which is stored on board the aircraft, is called the programmed aerodrome.

The prototype method provides the safe formation of a given landing trajectory in the presence of accurate and reliable information about the position of the aircraft relative to the landing trajectory on board the aircraft. The necessary accuracy in determining the position of the aircraft relative to the landing path in the prototype method is ensured by the integrated processing of data from autonomous, but not accurate ANNs, SHS and accurate corrective SNAs. Reliability of information is provided by redundancy of the main navigation sensors.

However, the SNA, even redundant ones, cannot ensure the continuity of measurements, and their performance may be interrupted by natural and artificial disturbances. Moreover, as the analysis shows, there are situations when the exact information from the SNA will be completely unavailable for use on board the aircraft.

The aim of the invention is to increase the flight safety of the aircraft and expand the functionality for the automatic formation of the trajectory of landing in the absence on board the aircraft corrective data from the SNA.

This goal is achieved by the fact that, relative to the prototype method, in the proposed method, when approaching the airfield, using any of the on-board visual orientation systems, the coordinates of the aircraft’s location are adjusted according to any of the programmed visual-contrast landmarks in the area of the landing aerodrome, and then, already the process of moving the aircraft along the landing path, using any of the on-board visual orientation systems, periodically update the deviations of the aircraft from the landing path, adjusting the location coordinates along the near end at the runway.

Thus, taking into account only the features essential for the present invention, in the method of controlling the aircraft landing path on a programmed aerodrome, including using inertial and aerometric measuring navigation systems, heading, roll, pitch, angular velocity, components of the ground speed vector, coordinates and altitude of the aircraft (LA), the formation on board the aircraft of the landing path relative to the virtual course-glide path beacon (BPM), which is placed on the opposite side of the take-off and landing of the landing strip (runway) during the continuation of the flight path, the formation of deviations of the aircraft from the flight path, the formation of control signals for the angular position of the aircraft in roll and pitch, and the change in the angular position of the aircraft in accordance with the generated control signals, previously, at the stage of exit to the aerodrome area, visually identify airfield landing, visually identify any of the programmed visual contrasting landmarks in the area of the airfield landing, using any of the airborne visual orientation systems, change they determine the range and the viewing angles of the selected landmark, which are used to correct the coordinates of the aircraft’s location, and then, already in the process of moving the aircraft along the landing path, the near end of the runway is visually identified and, using any of the on-board visual orientation systems, the deviations of the aircraft from the landing path are periodically updated by measuring the range and angles of sight of the near end of the runway, which are used to correct the coordinates of the location of the aircraft.

Figure illustrating the operation of the method with preliminary clarification of the location of the aircraft is presented in figure 4. The figure shows a variant of using a characteristic geometric figure, for example, a five-pointed star, in the center of which an angular reflector can be placed as a guide. At night or in cloudy weather, a light or infrared emitter with a characteristic, for example, blinking, radiation can be located in the center of this figure.

Figure illustrating the operation of the method when clarifying deviations of the aircraft from the landing path using the near end of the runway, is presented in figure 5. The ends of the runway, as a rule, are characteristically indicated by standard geometric figures in the form of white stripes, and in the dark or in cloudy weather they are indicated using aerodrome lighting equipment.

Using autonomous navigation information sensors available on board the aircraft, for example, ANNs and SHS, acceleration signals, angular velocities, heading, roll, pitch, speed, coordinates, and aircraft altitude are measured.

Currently, on modern aircraft, optical location systems are widely used as visual orientation systems, including laser rangefinders, collimator aviation indicators, helmet-mounted sighting devices, thermal imagers, etc. Using these devices, you can measure the distance to any point on the earth's surface and angles sighting of this point relative to the aircraft construction axes.

The landing phase is always preceded by the so-called “return” phase to the landing aerodrome [7, 12]. The trajectory of the aircraft when performing the stage of "return" is presented in Fig.6. At this stage, the aircraft flies to the point A of tangency of a given circle with a radius corresponding to the speed of the aircraft at the initial stage of landing R _З , taken along the runway axis at a distance D _VT from its near end, and located at a given height H _З - the so-called "third point U-Turn. " After passing the point of the third turn, the aircraft is turned towards the runway, and then the aircraft is aligned along the runway with a course equal to the runway course. At this point, the return phase ends and the landing phase begins.

Such a return trajectory is traditional for modern aircraft and is intended, first of all, to bring the aircraft into the zone of linear signals from ground-based radio engineering landing systems. For the prototype method and the proposed method, the accuracy of the exit of the aircraft to the specified area, which directly depends on the availability of accurate information on the coordinates of the current location of the aircraft on board the aircraft, is essential.

Therefore, in the absence of accurate information on the coordinates of the current location of the aircraft on board the aircraft, the crew, at the stage of return, when approaching the landing aerodrome visually orientates relative to the aerodrome itself and relative to any of the programmed visual contrast landmarks located in the vicinity of the aerodrome, and then with using any of the visual orientation systems available on the aircraft’s bore, it measures the range D _o and the viewing angles of this landmark a _yo , a _zo . These parameters, taking into account the course ψ, roll γ, pitch υ, are recalculated into the refinement corrections Δφ, Δλ to the coordinates of the aircraft φ _A , λ _A from autonomous systems:

Δφ = φ _A + D _o cosa _zo cos (ψ + a _yo ) / R-φ _OP ;

Δλ = λ _A + D _o cosa _zo sin (ψ + a _yo ) / R cos cos _LA -λ _OP ,

where R is the radius of the Earth, which for this task, with a sufficient level of accuracy, can be taken equal to 6371 km, φ _OP , λ _OP are the coordinates of the landmark.

These formulas are illustrative and are given under the assumption of a short range from the aircraft to the landmark (up to 25 km, which corresponds to the limiting range of most aircraft laser rangefinders) and the presence of the aircraft in a straight horizontal flight (γ = υ = 0).

Moreover, in the process of following the landing path, the crew, as far as possible, clarifies the position of the YES relative to the landing path. For this, the crew is visually oriented relative to the near end of the runway and, using any of the visual orientation systems available on the aircraft’s boron, measures the distance and viewing angles of the near end of the runway D _T1 , φ _yT1 , φ _zT1 . These parameters are used to clarify the corrections Δφ, Δλ to the coordinates of the aircraft φ _A , λ _A from autonomous systems.

Subsequently, in the process of reaching the third turning point, entering the landing and flight paths directly along the landing paths, the specified coordinates of the aircraft φ _LA , λ _{LA are} determined by the formulas:

φ _LA = φ _A -Δφ;

λ _LA = λ _A -Δλ.

Upon transition to the landing mode, on board the aircraft, using the specified values of the coordinates and the height of the aircraft φ _ЛА , λ _ЛА , Н _ЛА , course, length, coordinates and height of the near end of the runway ЛА ψ _Runway , ΔD _Runway , φ _T1 , λ _T1 , H _T1 , the angle of inclination of the landing path α ₀ , form all the parameters characterizing the current position of the BPM, the current given landing path and the position of the aircraft relative to this path.

Horizontal distance to the near end of the runway:

, $$D_{BT\mathrm{AT}PP}=\sqrt{\Delta {\varphi }_{\mathrm{one}}^2+\Delta {\lambda }_{\mathrm{one}}^2}$$

,

where Δφ ₁ = (φ _T1 -φ _LA ) · R, Δλ ₁ = (λ _T1 -λ _LA ) · R · cosφ _T1 .

Bearing and horizontal range to BPM:

, $$P_{\mathrm{AT}RM}=arctg\frac{\Delta {\lambda }_2}{\Delta {\varphi }_2}$$

,

, $$D_{\mathrm{AT}RM}=\sqrt{\Delta {\varphi }_2^2+\Delta {\lambda }_2^2}$$

,

₂ wherein Δφ = (φ _T2 -φ _LA) · R + ΔD _ASO · cosψ _runway, Δλ ₂ = (λ -λ _{LA T2)} · R · cosφ _T2 + ΔD _ASO · cosψ _runway.

BPM elevation angle:

, $${\alpha }_{\mathrm{AT}RM}=arctg\frac{H_{L\mathrm{BUT}}-H_{\mathrm{AT}RM}}{D_{\mathrm{AT}RM}}$$

,

where H _BPM = H _T2 - (ΔD _runway ~ δD _TP ) · tgα ₀ - height of BPM relative to sea level, δD _TP - distance of the estimated landing point from the near end of the runway, equal, for example, 100 m.

Angular deviations of the aircraft from a given landing path:

ε _KV = R _BPM -ψ _runway ,

ε _HB = α _BPM -α ₀ .

Signals of deviations from the given landing path along the course ε _HF and the glide path ε _GW are fed to the automatic control system of the aircraft to ensure landing in automatic mode and to appropriate indicating devices to ensure landing in manual mode.

Thus, the implementation examples show the achievement of technical results.

The proposed method can be implemented in the on-board digital computer system of the on-board equipment of the aircraft. The implementation of the proposed method does not imply a change or addition of equipment installed on board the aircraft, and involves the use of only known signals and actuators of the aircraft's onboard equipment.

Claims (1)

A method for controlling the aircraft landing path on a programmed aerodrome, including measuring with the help of inertial and aerometric navigation systems the heading, roll, pitch, angular velocity, components of the ground speed, coordinates and altitude of the aircraft (LA), formation of the flight path relative to the virtual one on board the aircraft heading glide path beacon (BPM), which is placed on the opposite side of the runway (runway) to continue the landing path, the formation of off the aircraft’s onset from the landing path, the formation of control signals for the aircraft’s angular position in roll and pitch, and the change in the angular position of the aircraft in accordance with the generated control signals, characterized in that, at the stage of entering the aerodrome area, the landing aerodrome is visually identified, any of programmed visual contrasting landmarks in the area of the landing aerodrome, using any of the on-board visual orientation systems, measure the range and viewing angles of the selected the reference point, which is used to correct the coordinates of the location of the aircraft, and then, already during the movement of the aircraft along the landing path, visually identify the near end of the runway and, using any of the on-board visual orientation systems, periodically update the deviations of the aircraft from the landing path by measuring range and viewing angles the near end of the runway, which is used to correct the coordinates of the location of the aircraft.

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