Boom guidance system for automated air-to-air refueling

A method for controlling an automated air-to-air refueling (A3R) mission, comprising:

• reading a 3D model of a fuel-receiving aircraft (receiver) from memory of an electronic control unit (ECU);
• receiving sensor data from a plurality of sensors via the ECU, the sensor data being indicative of a three-dimensional (3D) position of the receiver and a position of a boom of a fuel-supplying aircraft (tanker) in a receiver reference frame and a boom reference frame, respectively, the sensor data including pitch, roll, and telescope length of the boom in the boom reference frame,
• mapping a set of points in the receiver reference frame to the boom reference frame as mapped points using the 3D model of the receiver and a linear model of the boom;
• creating a bounding box that encompasses at least a boom tip and a boom pivot;
• computing a set of Euclidian radial distances between each of the mapped points and each respective point on the boom located within the bounding box;
• determining a minimum Euclidian radial distance in the set of Euclidian distances;
• and
• executing a flight control operation of the boom via the ECU in response to the minimum Euclidian radial distance being less than a threshold minimum distance.

A tanker comprising:

• a fuselage configured to transport aviation fuel;
• a boom connected to the fuselage;
• and
• a boom guidance system for use during an automated air-to-air refueling (A3R) mission, the boom guidance system comprising:
• a plurality of sensors configured to output sensor data indicative of a three-dimensional (3D) position of a fuel-receiving aircraft (receiver) and the boom in a receiver reference frame and a boom reference frame, respectively;
• and
• an electronic control unit (ECU) in communication with the plurality of sensors, wherein the ECU is programmed to:
• read a 3D model of the receiver from memory of the ECU;
• receive the sensor data, including a position of the receiver in the receiver reference frame and a pitch, roll, and telescope length of the boom in the boom reference frame;
• map a set of points in the receiver reference frame to the boom reference frame as mapped points using the 3D model of the receiver and a linear model of the boom;
• create a bounding box that encompasses at least a boom tip and a boom pivot;
• compute a set of Euclidian radial distances between each of the mapped points and each respective point on the boom located within the bounding box;
• determine a minimum Euclidian radial distance in the set of Euclidian distances;
• and
• execute a flight control operation of the boom during the A3R mission in response to the minimum Euclidian radial distance being less than a threshold minimum distance.