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US 2022/0289360 A1Published application
System and method to actively morph an aircraft while in flight for sonic boom suppression and drag minimization
AssigneeAerion Intellectual Property Management Corporation
InventorTom Vice
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system that optimizes the shape or configuration of an aircraft to minimize ground overpressure shock strength while in supersonic flight over speed restricted terrain and to morph to an optimized configuration for drag minimization while over unrestricted terrain.
Claims20
A system to actively trade drag for sonic boom suppression of an aircraft while in supersonic flight, the system comprising:
- an aircraft shape change apparatus configured to actively control a shape or configuration of the aircraft while in flight to have a first shape or configuration for reducing the sonic boom at ground level, a second shape or configuration for reducing drag on the aircraft, and a third shape or configuration that is in between the first shape or configuration and the second shape or configuration, the aircraft shape change apparatus receiving an electronic apparatus signal and adjusting the shape or configuration of the aircraft according to a content of the apparatus signal;
- and
- a flight management controller configured to manage an operation of the aircraft, the flight management controller including a processing element configured or programmed to output the electronic apparatus signal to include
- a first content for adjusting the aircraft to have the first shape or configuration when the aircraft is flying over an area in which a ground level sonic boom is not permitted,
- a second content for adjusting the aircraft to have the second shape or configuration when the aircraft is flying over an area in which a ground level sonic boom is permitted, and
- a third content for adjusting the aircraft to have the third shape or configuration when the aircraft is approaching a border between an area in which a ground level sonic boom is not permitted and an area in which a ground level sonic boom is permitted.
3 more elements
A system to configure an aircraft while in flight, the system comprising:
- an aircraft shape change apparatus configured to actively control a shape or configuration of the aircraft while in flight;
- and
- a flight management controller configured to instruct the aircraft shape change apparatus to adjust a shape or configuration of the aircraft to a first shape or configuration when the aircraft is flying over an area in which a ground level sonic boom is not permitted and to a second shape or configuration when the aircraft is flying over an area in which a ground level sonic boom is permitted.
A method of morphing an aircraft while the aircraft is in flight, the method comprising:
- receiving in a processing element data representative of a sonic boom property of an area over which the aircraft is flying;
- determining with the processing element a desired aircraft state based on the data;
- and
- instructing an aircraft shape change apparatus to adjust a shape or configuration of the aircraft to achieve the desired aircraft state.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.