US 7,606,641 B2 · Fuel consumption data tracking/collection and aircraft/route optimization

Abstract

An automated system tracks and records factors that affect fuel consumption. Configuration factors such as the actual engine(s) used in the airplane, weight, weight distribution, engine pressure, engine rotation speeds, etc.; environmental factors such as wind speed and direction, temperature, altitude and air pressure, etc.; and flight path factors such as actual route flown, distance flown, take-off/landing requirements for the airports, etc. are tracked and recorded. The resulting data is used to “normalize” the fuel efficiency of each airplane and engine. Normalized data for an airline's fleet of airplanes and engines are used to find optimal airplane/engine combinations for the routes serviced by the airline. The collected data itself can be sent from the aircraft during flight or, a notification message can be sent from the aircraft to the airline computer system to have the collected data downloaded from the airplane at the next landing.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for assigning aircraft to routes, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computer system, fuel consumption data for each aircraft of a fleet of aircraft, the fuel consumption data obtained during flights of the fleet of aircraft;
receiving, at the computer system, fuel consumption data for each aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft, the fuel consumption data obtained during flights associated with the individual aircraft engines;
normalizing, with the computer system, the aircraft and aircraft engine fuel consumption data based on environmental factors experienced by the aircraft and the aircraft engines during the flights when the fuel consumption data was obtained;
determining, with the computer system, a fuel efficiency for each aircraft and aircraft engine using the normalized fuel consumption data;
receiving, at the computer system, information related to routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft;
and
determining, utilizing the computer system, an assignment of aircraft and engine combinations to the routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft based on the determined fuel efficiency for each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft.

4 more elements

A system for assigning aircraft to routes, the system comprising:

a fleet of aircraft each including:
a fuel efficiency data manager to obtain information related to fuel consumption for the aircraft and at least one aircraft engine installed on the aircraft, and
at least one wireless communication unit, coupled to the fuel efficiency data manager, to selectively transmit information related to fuel consumption for the aircraft and the at least one aircraft engine and transmit information related to environmental factors experienced by the aircraft and the at least one aircraft engine;
and
a computer system communicatively coupled to the fleet of aircraft, the computer system including:
a datastore of information related to fuel consumption of each aircraft and aircraft engine of the fleet of aircraft and information related to routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft, the datastore embodied on a computer readable medium;
and
an optimizer component to normalize the aircraft and aircraft engine fuel consumption data based on the environmental factors received by said at least one wireless communication unit and to determine an assignment of aircraft and engine combinations to the routes serviced by the fleet of aircraft based on the normalized fuel consumption data.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Fuel consumption data tracking/collection and aircraft/route optimization

Life of this patent

Fuel consumption data tracking/collection and aircraft/route optimization

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20