WO2010049205A2

WO2010049205A2 - Apparatus for guiding an aircraft during the approach of an airport runway

Info

Publication number: WO2010049205A2
Application number: PCT/EP2009/061847
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Claude Vandevoorde; Guy Laenen
Original assignee: Adb Bvba
Priority date: 2008-10-29
Filing date: 2009-09-14
Publication date: 2010-05-06
Also published as: DE102008053810A8; WO2010049205A3; DE102008053810A1

Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus for guiding an aircraft (A) during the approach of an airport runway (R). Said apparatus comprises a device for outputting orientation data to a pilot of the aircraft (A) on whether the aircraft is laterally staying on course during the approach. In order to lower operating costs, keep maintenance low, and increase security against acts of vandalism, the device comprises one or more lighting units (1S, 2S, 1B, 2B) which are designed to output the orientation data in the form of a light signal (S), thus making said apparatus particularly suitable for non-precision approaches and for airports rated for category I landings.

Description

description

Device for guiding an aircraft when approaching a runway of an airport

The invention relates to a device for guiding an aircraft when approaching a runway of an airport according to the preamble of claim 1.

The management of aircraft, especially aircraft, in their final approach to an airport runway is one of the most challenging tasks of pilots, air traffic controllers, but also of developers and manufacturers of these supporting technical systems. Essentially instrument landing systems and approach lighting systems are known for this purpose. The international landing systems are standardized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the Federal Aviation Association (FAA) and are defined in terms of coverage, range, accuracy, reliability / integrity, availability, etc. The required values for these parameters depend, in part, on the particular target category (CAT I, II, III), whereby the most stringent requirements must be fulfilled for CAT III. These landing categories determine, among other things, the so-called decision altitude, i. the minimum height above the runway threshold to which the aircraft may at the most sink along the glide path, so that - if the pilot can not clearly identify the runway when reaching the decision height - a launch can still be initiated.

An instrument landing system, hereafter ILS for short, is understood to mean a ground-based system that assists the pilot of an aircraft when approaching and landing by means of two radio guiding beams of different frequencies and orientations of the transmission lobes. As a result, precision approaches are possible even in poor visibility conditions. The landing cutter shows lateral deviations of the aircraft from Landing course while the glideslope transmitter indicates to the pilot the vertical deviation from the optimal approach profile. The approach angle for an ILS approach CAT I is typically between 2.5 ° and 3.5 °, ideally at 3 °. For an ILS Approach CAT II / III the slip angle must be 3 °. The Landing Transmitter informs the pilot of their lateral position relative to the approach baseline and thus shows the pilot whether to steer to the right (starboard) or to the left (port) to hit the runway. From the international publication WO 03/019313 A2, for example, a hybrid instrument landing system for aircraft is known, in which two radio navigation systems of different technologies for different flight sections of the final approach are proposed.

An approach lighting system is used to visually estimate altitude, direction and displacement during the approach or transition from the instrument approach to the visual approach. To signal whether the pilot is too high, too low, or in the correct approach corridor, there are gliding angle fires located to the side of the runway. Such is, for example, from the DE product specification "Precision Approach Glide Angle Fire (PAPI) 5NP3: A.02.512d", order no. ElOOl-T95-A62-V1, published in 1995 by Siemens AG. For orientation in terms of direction and offset with respect to the approach baseline, which extends the runway centerline in the approach direction, a series of above or below ground mounted fires of various colors is known. The sill fires to be applied during the approach are usually green, while the runway end fires are red. On both sides of the runway threshold, lightning fires in white can be used. The approach baseline itself is widened in the approach direction by consecutive rows of five white approach fires over a length of at least 720 m (CAT I) or of at least 900 m (CAT II / III) and highlighted by additional lightning fires. In the area of the runway threshold are two lateral, on both sides of the Anfluggrundli- never arranged strips of three rows marked with red glowing threshold side fires.

Such optical systems for the azimuth approach guidance require about 180 fires with a power consumption of 150 W, which corresponds to a total consumption of about 30 kW, taking into account transmission losses. In addition to the high energy consumption costs, the extended approach lighting of the approach baseline extends beyond the fenced-in airport area. This complicates the monitoring of the approach lights against vandalism and the accessibility for maintenance personnel.

The invention is therefore based on the object to provide an Anflug- guide device of the type mentioned above, which is characterized by low operating costs, ease of maintenance and vandalism and thus is particularly suitable for non-precision approaches and for airports of the CAT I category.

The object is achieved by a generic Anflugführungsvorrichtung with the features stated in the characterizing part of claim 1. The device for issuing the orientation instruction accordingly has one or more firing units arranged close to the runway. The device comprises a significantly smaller number of firing units than known from the prior art, preferably between one and six firing units, more preferably four firing units. Thus, compared to known approach lights, the energy consumption costs can be drastically reduced, for example by a factor of 10 to 20. The limited number of firing units is located near the runway, for example in the area of the runway threshold, preferably not further than about the width the runway itself. This arrangement can be used to ensure that these lighting units are located within the airport perimeter and thus dalism protected area, which is also easily accessible to maintenance personnel. The firing unit or the firing units emit the orientation information about the lateral course compliance of the approaching aircraft in the form of a light signal. The pilot approaching a runway can thus also be assisted in the case of non-precision approaches and airports of category CAT I by a visually perceptible signal generated by a cost-effective facility.

In an advantageous embodiment of the approach guidance device according to the invention, each of the one or more firing units is designed to emit a light beam having at least two sub-beams of different azimuth ranges, wherein each two sub-beams adjoin one another at a vertical beam splitting plane and have different colors. As a result, the pilot who is approaching sees the firing unit or firing units light up in different colors depending on their position or the beam-splitting planes. In the simplest case, a single firing unit can be provided which has, for example, three or five partial beams whose azimuth areas are distributed symmetrically to the approach baseline. When using several firing units, it is sufficient to provide a smaller number of colors per firing unit, since the optical signal can be coded via the respective color combination of the sum of the firing units.

In a preferred embodiment of the approach guide device according to the invention a plurality of firing units are arranged symmetrically to a center line of the runway. In this way, it can be included in the color coding of the individual firing units on which side of the regional track center line the individual color fires can be seen. Thus, a pilot-perceived color change of a firing unit on the starboard side of the centerline may result in a heading deviation of the aircraft in starboard direction indicate - and vice versa. Starboard and port here refer to the seen in approach direction side right or left of the aircraft.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention

Anflugführungsvorrichtung the Befeuerungseinheiten are arranged aligned along a parallel to a threshold of the runway. The parallel is thus horizontal and perpendicular to the approach baseline. By comparing this line with the instantaneous position of the aircraft transverse axis, the pilot can thus perceive a possible rolling movement of the aircraft approaching. This allows course corrections with a simple optical device.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention

Anflugführungsvorrichtung the light rays of the firing units are aligned so that their beam splitting planes and the center line each include different azimuthal angles. By aligning the beam distribution levels of the firing units, the solid angle ranges can be set and thus the color codings can be determined, which an approaching pilot perceives from different spatial directions. Depending on the size of the lateral course deviation, the pilot perceives a color change in one or more firing units.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the approach guidance device according to the invention, the beam distribution levels are set from the center line to the outside, wherein the included angle is larger with increasing distance of the firing unit from the center line. This allows the generation of a proportional to the size of the lateral course deviation light signal. Compared with the color distribution, which perceives a pilot of on-board aircraft, with increasing lateral deviation of a color change only at the closer to the center line firing unit and then successively the next farthest firing unit perceived.

Preferably, each of the light beams of the firing units of the approach guide apparatus of the invention is divided into a starboard sub-beam and a port sub-beam, the starboard sub-beams having a first color and the port sub-beams having a second, different color from the first. The color coding of the optical signals perceived by a pilot is as follows: If the aircraft is on its correct landing course, the firing units arranged on the port side of the center line emit a first color while the firing units of the center line emit a second color. Dodges the plane from its course

Off starboard, the starboard centerline fire stations change in order of their distance from the center line from the first to the second color. Conversely, the ports of the center line of the firing units change from the first to the second color in succession with a lateral deviation to port.

In an alternative, likewise advantageous embodiment of the approach guidance device according to the invention, each of the light beams of the firing units is divided into a starboard sub-beam and a port sub-beam, the starboard sub-beams being on one side of the center line and the port sub-beams being on the other side Center line a first color and the port sub-beams on one side of the center line and the starboard partial beams on the other side of the center line have a second, different from the first color. In this coding variant, the on-course pilot perceives all firing units in the first color, while in the case of a lateral course deviation on one side, first the inner firing unit and then further outward Firing units of this site change color; the firing units on the other side do not change their color.

In a further advantageous embodiment of the inventive approach guide device, each of the one or more firing units comprises a housing having a light exit opening in which a single light channel is arranged with an optical axis, along which a light source for generating the light beam, a color filter to the vertical Parts of the light beam are arranged in at least two partial beams and a lens arrangement for concentrated emission of the light beam through the light exit opening in the approach direction of the aircraft. By providing a single light channel can be dispensed with a multiple execution costly optical components, which reduces the manufacturing cost of firing units according to the invention. Preferably, a single color filter is provided, which divides the light beam into a filtered partial beam and an unfiltered partial beam. By providing only a single light channel, each of the firing units can be easily optically adjusted. Finally, the size and weight of such firing units can be kept small, resulting in easy handling during assembly. Likewise, smaller housing sizes also provide a smaller windage area for natural and air traffic induced air currents.

Further details and advantages of the approach guidance device according to the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings in which

1 shows a longitudinal section through the housing of a firing unit,

2 shows a plan view of a first variant of the approach guidance device according to the invention, FIGS. 3A-3E show the light signals emitted by the approach guide device according to FIG.

4 shows a plan view of a second variant of the approach guidance device according to the invention,

FIGS. 5A-5E show the light signals emitted by the approach guide device according to FIG

are illustrated schematically.

According to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, a device according to the invention for guiding an aircraft A when approaching a runway R of an airport has a device for issuing an orientation instruction to a driver of the aircraft A via his lateral compliance with the approach course. In the exemplary embodiments illustrated, this device comprises two firing units IS or 2S arranged in the approach direction D of the aircraft A to starboard of a center line C of the runway R and two firing units IB and 2B arranged on the port side of the center line C. The firing units IS, IB and 2S, 2B are arranged symmetrically to the center line C at the distances di and d _2, respectively, to the side of the runway R and along a parallel line T _j to the runway threshold T. The parallel T _j lies in approach direction D at a distance d _τ before the runway threshold T. The distances dl, d2 and d _τ are less than or approximately equal to the width w of the runway R. This is a spatially local arrangement of the firing units IS, 2S , IB, 2B, so that the means for issuing the orientation indication in the form of a light signal near the runway R and thus within the fenced airport area is possible. This ensures against vandalism and easy accessibility for maintenance personnel.

According to FIG. 1, each of the four firing units IS, 2S, IB, 2B comprises a housing 10, which consists of folded aluminum sheet and has a bottom, two side and a rear wall and has a removable cover. The formed as a light exit opening 11 front side of the housing 10 is closed by a front glass 12. In the housing 10, only a single light channel 13 extends along an optical axis O. Along the optical axis O are a light source 20, a color filter 30 and a lens array 40 arranged one behind the other. As the light source 20, a symmetrical to the optical axis O grouping of three halogen lamps is used, which produce a white, on the color filter 30 directed light beam - not shown in the figure. As the light source 20, three commercially available 105 W halogen lamps are used which are pre-focused and already have a reflector 21. The halogen lamps are mounted on brackets 22 which are mounted on the bottom wall of the housing 10. The color filter 30 is arranged, preferably in combination with a slit diaphragm, such that the light beam is vertically divided into a filtered beam component LS and an unfiltered beam component LB. The boundary edge of the color filter 30 generates in the emitted light beam L a vertically aligned beam splitting plane OP at which a sharp color change takes place from a first, unfiltered light color C1 to a second, different from the first, filtered light color C2. Seen in the approach direction D, the beam splitting plane OP divides the light beam L into a starboard partial beam LS which extends over a first

Azimutbereich α _s extends, and a port partial beam LB, which extends over a second azimuth range α _B. The two partial beams LS and LB now pass through an inner lens 41 and then through an outer lens 42 before they leave the firing device through the light exit opening 11. The tandem arrangement of the lenses consisting of optical glass 41 and 42 provides a very sharp transition between the partial beams LS and LB, which occupies not more than three minutes of arc over the entire beam height. The front glass 12 protects the outer lens 42 from flying sand and can be anti-condensation treated. At their installation position, the optical axes O and thus the beam splitting planes OP of the individual firing units IS, 2S, IB, 2B are optically adjusted. In accordance with the inclination of the gliding path provided for the runway R, the optical axes O are set at an angle of approximately 3 ° to the horizontal. According to FIG. 2 and FIG. 4, the optical planes OP are set outward with respect to the runway center line C or with respect to these parallel lines C _j . The beam splitting planes OP of the two inner firing units IS and IB are accordingly oppositely oriented, horizontal, azimuthal angles ± αi, of the two outer firing units 2S and 2B are at a second horizontal, azimuthal, oppositely oriented angle OL ₂ of the Parallels C _j turned away. In this case, the amount of the angle OL _{2 is} greater than the amount of the angle αi. In this way, it is achieved that a pilot of an approaching aircraft A first perceives a color change of one of the inner firing units IS or IB in the case of a lateral course deviation, and a color change with an additional course deviation in addition to one of the outer firing units 2S or 2B. The light signal perceived by the pilot is thus proportional to the magnitude of the lateral heading deviation. Depending on the color distribution on the partial beams of the individual firing units IS, 2S, IB, 2B, different embodiments for the generated light signals can be realized.

In a first embodiment variant according to FIG. 2, the port partial beams LB have a first color C1, while the starboard partial beams LS have a second color C2 different from the first. If an approaching aircraft A is approximately on course, the pilot perceives a light signal according to FIG. 3C, according to which the two firing units IS or 2S on the starboard side of the runway R radiate in the first color C1, while the two portside board the runway R arranged firing units IB and 2B in the second color C2 radiate. With slight deviation of the aircraft A in the direction of starboard changes since according to FIG 3D, the inner firing unit IS on starboard side from the first color Cl to the second color C2. Finally, if the heading deviates sharply towards starboard, all four firing units IS, 2S, IB, 2B show the second color C2. Conversely, when the heading deviates to port, the inner firing unit IB on the port side of the runway R first changes from the second color C2 to the first color C1. If the heading deviates sharply to port, all four firing units IS, 2S, IB, 2B show the first color CI.

In a second embodiment according to FIG. 4, the starboard partial beams LS of the firing units IB and 2B arranged to the port of the center line C and the port partial beams of the firing units of the center line C arranged firing units IS or 2S a first color Cl, while the Port sub-beams LB of the port line of the center line C arranged firing units IB and 2B and the starboard beam sub-beams LS of the starboard centerline C arranged firing units IS and 2S have a second color C2. The corresponding light signals as a function of the price compliance are shown in FIGS. 5A to 5E. According to FIG. 5C, all the firing units IS, 2S, IB, 2B emit the first color C1 if the approaching aircraft A is moving on course. With increasing deviation of the aircraft A in the direction of starboard changes according to FIG 5D initially starboard arranged inner firing unit IS of the first color Cl to the second color C2, then then both starboard firing units IS and 2S emit the second color C2. Conversely, i. with increasing course deviation to port, first the inner firing unit IB and then also the outer firing unit 2B changes from the first color C1 to the second color C2, which can be seen in FIG. 5B and FIG. 5A.

Overall, the approach guidance device according to the invention in the form of four simple and stationary Befeue- a landing course guidance provided by emission of light signals, which is equivalent to that of an instrument landing system. By using four single-channel firing units, each with 315 W of energy consumption, with a total energy consumption of about 1.6 kW, that of well-known azimuthal approach lights is significantly undercut. The arrangement of the firing units near the runway threshold makes it easy to access for maintenance and protects the airport fencing from damage caused by vandalism. Especially for airports of the CAT I category, the invention thus represents a cost-effective alternative to non-visual instrument landing systems.

Claims

claims

1. A device for guiding an aircraft (A) on approach to a runway (R) of an airport, with a facility for issuing a guidance note to a leader of the aircraft (A) on its lateral compliance with an approach course, characterized in that the device one or more near the runway (R) arranged firing units (IS, 2S, IB, 2B), which are designed to deliver the Orientierungshinweises in the form of a light signal (S).

2. An approach guide device according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more firing units (IS, 2S, IB, 2B) for

Transmission of a light beam (L) with at least two partial beams (LS, LB) of different azimuth (α _s , CX _B ) is formed, each two sub-beams (LS, LB) adjoin one another at a vertical beam splitting plane (OP) and different colors (Cl , C2).

3. An approach guide device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of firing units (IS, 2S, IB, 2B) are arranged symmetrically to a center line (C) of the runway (R).

4. approach guide device according to claim 3, wherein the firing units (IS, 2S, IB, 2B) along a parallel (T, |) are arranged aligned to a threshold (T) of the runway (R).

5. An approach guide device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the light beams (L) of the firing units (IS, 2S, IB, 2B) are aligned such that their beam splitting planes (OPis, OP ₂ S, OPiB, OPO _2B ) and the center line (C or C ") each include different azimuthal angles (± αi, ± α ₂ ).

6. Anflugführungsvorrichtung according to claim 5, wherein the beam-splitting planes (OPi _S , OP _2S , OPi _B , OPO _2B ) of the center line ^¬ (C or Cn) are employed to the outside and the included angle (± αi, ± «2) with increasing distance (di, d ₂ ) of the firing unit (IS, 2S, IB, 2B) from the center line

(C) is larger.

7. An approach guide device according to claim 6, wherein each of the light beams (L) of the firing units (IS, 2S, IB, 2B) is divided into a starboard sub-beam (LS) and a port sub-beam (LB), the starboard sub-beams ( LS) have a first color (C2) and the port partial beams (LB) have a second, different from the first color (Cl).

8. An approach guidance device according to claim 6, wherein each of the light beams (L) of the beacon units (IS, 2S, IB, 2B) is divided into a starboard sub-beam (LS) and a port sub-beam (LB), the starboard sub-beams ( LS) on one side of the center line (C) and the port partial beams (LB) on the other side of the center line (C) a first color (Cl) and the port partial beams (LB) on one side of the center line (C) and the starboard sub-beams (LS) on the other side of the center line (C) have a second color (C2) different from the first one.

9. approach guide device according to one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each of the one or more firing units (IS, 2S, IB, 2B) comprises a housing (10) having a light exit opening (11), in which a single light channel (13) with a optical axis (O) along which a light source (20) for generating the light beam (L), a color filter (30) for vertically dividing the light beam (L) into at least two partial beams (LS, LB) and a lens arrangement (40 ) for concentrated emission of the light beam (LS, LB) through the light exit opening (11) in approach direction

(D) of the aircraft (A) are arranged.