Managing fuel in aircraft
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsLuigi Peter Righi, Mark A. Talbot, Gregory Mark Wellbrook, John Lyttle, Fred Austin, Douglas Olie Nelson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for managing aircraft. Data about components for the aircraft is identified. Fuel efficiency of the aircraft is identified using the data about the components for the aircraft and a model of the aircraft. The model of the aircraft identifies fuel use. The aircraft is managed using the fuel efficiency identified for the aircraft.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A method for determining a quantity of reserve fuel available for an aircraft in flight, the method comprising:
- continuously identifying in substantially real-time, using a computer system, a data comprised by a component in a number of components comprised by the aircraft;
- continuously identifying in substantially real-time, using the computer system, an actual fuel efficiency of the aircraft;
- continuously comparing in substantially real-time, using the computer system, the actual fuel efficiency of the aircraft to a predicted fuel efficiency of the aircraft, the predicted fuel efficiency being based upon a model of fuel use for a type comprised by the aircraft;
- continuously generating in substantially real-time, by using the computer system and comparing the actual fuel efficiency of the aircraft to the predicted fuel efficiency of the aircraft, a fuel efficiency index for the aircraft;
- and
- continuously computing, in substantially real-time, by using the computer system and the fuel efficiency index of the aircraft, the quantity of reserve fuel available for the aircraft in flight.
An apparatus and configured to determine a quantity of reserve fuel available for an aircraft in flight, the apparatus comprising:
- a computer system configured to continuously:
- identify, in substantially real-time, a data comprised by a component in a number of components comprised by the aircraft;
- identify, in substantially real-time, an actual fuel efficiency of the aircraft;
- compare, in substantially real-time, the actual fuel efficiency of the aircraft to a predicted fuel efficiency of the aircraft, the predicted fuel efficiency being based upon a model of fuel use for a type comprised by the aircraft;
- generate, in substantially real-time, based upon a comparison between the actual fuel efficiency of the aircraft to the predicted fuel efficiency of the aircraft, a fuel efficiency index for the aircraft;
- and
- compute, in substantially real-time, based upon the fuel efficiency index of the aircraft, the quantity of reserve fuel available for the aircraft in flight.
A computer code stored on a non-transitory storage medium, the computer code configured to:
- manage fuel for an aircraft in flight;
- continuously identify, in substantially real-time, a data comprised by a component in a number of components comprised by the aircraft;
- identify, in substantially real time, a fuel efficiency index for the component;
- identify, based upon the fuel efficiency index of the component, when the aircraft needs maintenance
- identify, in substantially real-time, an actual fuel efficiency of the aircraft;
- compare, in substantially real-time, the actual fuel efficiency of the aircraft to a predicted fuel efficiency of the aircraft, the predicted fuel efficiency being based upon a model of fuel use for a type comprised by the aircraft;
- generate, in substantially real-time, based upon a comparison between the actual fuel efficiency of the aircraft to the predicted fuel efficiency of the aircraft, a fuel efficiency index for the aircraft;
- compute, in substantially real-time, based upon the fuel efficiency index of the aircraft, a quantity of reserve fuel available for the aircraft in flight;
- and
- determine, in substantially real-time, if the quantity of reserve fuel requires a change of a destination for the aircraft in flight.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.