System for Monitoring a Payload, Aircraft and Method

Abstract

The invention relates to a payload monitoring system of an aircraft, wherein the system comprises at least one storage area (26, 28, 30, 32, 36, 38, 42) for a payload and at least one pressure sensor (10), wherein the at least one sensor (10) is configured to detect a weight force and its center of gravity of payload resting on the storage area (26, 28, 30, 32, 36, 38, 42). Furthermore, the invention relates to an aircraft and a method for operating an aircraft.

Claims

1-26. (canceled)

27. A payload monitoring system of an aircraft, wherein the system comprises at least one storage area for a payload and at least one pressure sensor, wherein the at least one pressure sensor is configured to detect a weight force and/or its center of gravity of payload resting on the storage area, wherein the system comprises at least one floor area in a cargo hold of the aircraft as a storage area and wherein the system is adapted to determine the actual payload distribution in the cargo hold.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the floor area in the cargo hold comprises a plurality of floor area sectors, and wherein the system comprises a plurality of pressure sensors respectively assigned to the plurality of floor area sectors for respectively detecting the weight force and/or its center of gravity of payloads resting on a plurality of floor area sectors, wherein one or more sensors can be assigned to one floor area sector.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein each of the floor area sectors is adapted to accommodate at least one cargo container.

30. The system according to claim 27, wherein the total storage area which is equipped with pressure sensors such that a weight force and/or its center of gravity of payload resting on this storage area can be detected comprises at least 20 m.sup.2.

31. The system according to claim 27, wherein the system is adapted to determine the actual payload distribution in the cargo hold during the flight.

32. The system according to claim 27, wherein the system is adapted to detect a weight force and/or its center of gravity of payload resting on the storage area in one or more of the following situations: during the flight, continuously during the flight, during loading of the cargo hold, immediately after finished loading of the cargo hold and/or the aircraft, prior to takeoff, upon reaching the cruising altitude, prior to landing.

33. The system according to claim 27, wherein the system is adapted to determine the actual payload distribution in the cargo hold in one or more of the following situations: during loading of the cargo hold, immediately after finished loading of the cargo hold and/or the aircraft, prior to takeoff, upon reaching the cruising altitude, prior to landing.

34. The system according to claim 27, comprising an evaluation device which is configured to determine an influence of the detected payload on the overall center of gravity of the aircraft on the basis of respective detected weight forces and/or centers of gravity.

35. The system according to claim 34, wherein, depending on the determined influence of the detected payload on the overall center of gravity of the aircraft, the evaluation device is further configured to determine trim of the aircraft corresponding thereto, wherein the system optionally comprises a control device that adjusts the determined trim.

36. The system according to claim 27, wherein the system comprises an evaluation device which is configured to compare respective detected weight forces and/or centers of gravity with respective predetermined weight forces and/or centers of gravity and to output a warning signal when a maximum deviation is exceeded.

37. The system according to claim 36, wherein the evaluation device is configured to compare the determined influence of the detected payload on the overall center of gravity of the aircraft with a predetermined influence of the payload on the overall center of gravity of the aircraft and to output the warning signal when a maximum influence is exceeded.

38. The system according to claim 27, wherein the system comprises an evaluation device which is configured to detect respective actual weight forces and/or their respective actual centers of gravity on the basis of the respective detected weight forces and/or their respective detected centers of gravity as a function of an aircraft attitude.

39. The system according to claim 27, wherein the system comprises at least one pressure sensor arranged in or on a side surface laterally bounding a respective storage area, wherein the at least one laterally arranged sensor is configured to detect the weight force and/or its center of gravity of payload supported on the side surface.

40. The system according to claim 27, wherein at least one of the respective pressure sensors is configured as a textile surface sensor.

41. An aircraft comprising the payload monitoring system according to claim 27.

42. A method for operating an aircraft comprising the payload monitoring system according to claim 27, wherein at least one weight force and/or its center of gravity of payload arranged on a floor area in a cargo hold of the aircraft is detected and the actual payload distribution in the cargo hold is determined on the basis thereof.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the floor area in the cargo hold comprises a plurality of floor area sectors and wherein at least one weight force and/or its center of gravity of payload resting on the respective floor area sector is detected for each of said floor area sectors.

44. The method according to claim 43, wherein a cargo container is parked on a plurality of the floor area sectors.

45. The method according to claim 42, wherein the actual payload distribution in the cargo hold is determined in one or more of the following situations: during the flight, continuously during the flight, during loading of the cargo hold, immediately after finished loading of the cargo hold and/or the aircraft, prior to takeoff, upon reaching the cruising altitude, prior to landing.

46. The method according to claim 42, wherein a weight force and/or its center of gravity of payload resting on the storage area is detected in one or more of the following situations: during the flight, continuously during the flight, during loading of the cargo hold, immediately after finished loading of the cargo hold and/or the aircraft, prior to takeoff, upon reaching the cruising altitude, prior to landing.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a payload monitoring system for an aircraft.

[0054] FIG. 2 shows a schematic sectional top view of part of a passenger cabin comprising the system according to FIG. 1.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows a schematic sectional top view of part of a cargo hold of the aircraft according to FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0056] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a payload monitoring system for an aircraft. The system comprises at least one pressure sensor 10, which is configured in the present case as a textile surface sensor. Its arrangement in the aircraft is described in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. The pressure sensor 10 can, for example, be connected to an on-board power supply of the aircraft or also have an autonomous power supply, such as a battery. Alternatively, the pressure sensor 10 can also be configured to operate passively and not require a power supply. The system can also comprise a plurality of pressure sensors 10, each of which is assigned, for example, to a different payload storage area of the aircraft.

[0057] The pressure sensor 10 is configured to detect a weight force and optionally its center of gravity of payload resting on a storage area to which the pressure sensor 10 is assigned. The weight force can be a force with which the payload presses on the storage area due to gravity. On the basis of the size and distribution of the payload, a weight force distribution ensues which the pressure sensor 10 can detect. For example, the pressure sensor 10 can be configured to measure a force at a plurality of locations on the storage area. These forces can be aggregated to determine a total force acting onto the storage area. At the same time, these forces are evaluated to determine at which location the aggregated total force acts in order to be able to determine respective lever arms of the weight force of the payload on the storage area.

[0058] Respective sensor signals from the pressure sensor 10 can be converted by an A/D converter 12 of the system. The sensor signals can then be transmitted by a data transmission module 14 to an evaluation device 16 and/or a receiver external to the aircraft. For example, the data transmission can be wired or wireless, for example by means of radio. Data transmission can be provided by means of WLAN and use an existing on-board WLAN, by means of Bluetooth Low Energy, whereby the power consumption can be very low, or also by means of RFID technology, for example. The weight force and its center of gravity detected by the pressure sensor 10 can be evaluated by means of the evaluation device 16, for example in order to determine an influence of the detected payload on the overall center of gravity of the aircraft. Thus, it is possible to check whether the detected payload corresponds to an expected payload and also to its planned arrangement in the aircraft. Thus, it is possible to improve trim of the aircraft and/or avoid unsafe flight conditions.

[0059] The respective sensor signals and the results of the evaluation by the evaluation device 16 can, for example, be transmitted to a database device 18 in order to be stored by it. This means that these data can be available for a later evaluation. Alternatively or additionally, the respective sensor signals and results of the evaluation can be transmitted to an output device 20 which, for example, displays the payload distribution in the cockpit of the aircraft. Thus, these data are available to the crew of the aircraft, which enables them to react accordingly to an unfavorable payload distribution and/or an exceedance of maximum payload.

[0060] The output device 20 or display can be the actual interface to the pilot and respective flight attendants. For example, the loading can be displayed by a “red-yellow-green” traffic light for the flight attendants. The exact areas, respective payload weights as well as the total weight and the resulting center of gravity can be provided for the pilot and/or the ramp agent. Additionally, a loading plan can be displayed to have a comparison to a desired loading. In case of correspondingly high deviations above predetermined threshold values, storage areas are displayed in yellow or red. This evaluation can also be performed by the evaluation device 16.

[0061] FIG. 2 shows a sectional top view of part of a passenger cabin 22 of a passenger aircraft. This passenger cabin 22 is bounded by a fuselage 24. A plurality of rows of seats with respective aircraft seats 26 are arranged in the passenger cabin 22. Overhead bins 28 are arranged above respective rows of seats. An aisle 30, on which a trolley 32 is located, extends between the rows of seats. In addition, a galley 34 is arranged in the passenger cabin 22, said galley 34 comprising two work surfaces 36 and a plurality of stowage spaces 38 in which, for example, respective Atlas containers with food for the passengers can be stowed. A stowage space for the trolley 32, for example, is also provided below the work surfaces 36.

[0062] FIG. 3 shows a sectional top view of part of a cargo hold 40 of the aircraft. The cargo hold 40 is also bounded by the fuselage 24. The cargo hold 40 comprises a floor area, which in the present case is divided into three floor area sectors 42, each of which is used for parking an assigned cargo container. Alternatively or additionally, the cargo hold 40 can, for example, also be configured to accommodate loose pieces of baggage or other objects.

[0063] The above-mentioned areas can be monitored by means of the payload monitoring system. Accordingly, respectively assigned pressure sensors 10 can be provided, which respectively detect a weight force and its center of gravity of payload resting on the aforementioned storage areas. Thus, for example, the weight force and its site of action of respective passengers on the seats 26 and the aisle 30 can be detected. Likewise, each storage area of the overhead bins 28 can comprise a textile surface sensor as a pressure sensor 10. Thus, the weight and location of respective pieces of baggage in the overhead bins 28 can be detected. It can also be determined whether a piece of carry-on baggage exceeds an admissible maximum weight and the crew can be accordingly advised thereof. In this way, hazard caused by falling carry-on baggage can be minimized.

[0064] The payload can also be monitored in the galley 34. For example, a pressure sensor 10 can be provided on each of the work surfaces 36 for this purpose. Thus, it can, for example, also be detected whether loose objects are still stored there and the crew can be advised thereof in the event of turbulence and/or prior to landing and takeoff. Thus, this payload can be secured. Likewise, the payload in the stowage spaces 38 can be detected by corresponding pressure sensors 10. It can thereby be automatically checked whether the food supplies have been loaded. After completion of the flight, consumption can also be detected and automatic reordering can be performed accordingly. By means of a pressure sensor 10 on the floor area for the trolley 32, similar things can also be detected when the trolley 32 is being filled. Furthermore, a warning can also be issued in this case in the event that a trolley 32 has not been properly stowed. Also at the trolley 32, which can also be part of the payload monitoring system, respective pressure sensors 10 can be provided. In particular in the case of a correspondingly high resolution of the pressure distribution, it can thus be detected, for example, which respective consumables have been consumed at the trolley 32 and to what extent. It can thus be detected, for example, that a soda pop has been consumed and must be refilled, while water is still sufficiently available.

[0065] In addition, by detecting the weight forces and their centers of gravity of the respective payloads, the system 10 can determine an influence on the overall center of gravity of the aircraft. On the one hand, this determination can be taken into account by respectively trimming the aircraft or it can be used to reposition a payload as desired prior to takeoff or after a shift. It also allows monitoring correct loading. For example, incorrect loading of heavy cargo in the cargo hold 40 can otherwise cause a tailstrike of the aircraft during takeoff. Thus, with the payload monitoring system, improper loading can be detected even before the flight begins. However, unintentional shift of payload, for example due to turbulence, can also be detected during the flight. If necessary, the payload can be secured and/or moved to the correct location. Moreover, an unintentional shift can be indicated to the pilot, which can assist the pilot in troubleshooting in the event of unusual flight characteristics of the aircraft. For example, the pilot can thus better identify whether a payload has shifted or whether one of the control surfaces of the aircraft is damaged.

[0066] The center of gravity resulting from the payload distribution in the aircraft is important for flight properties and safety. For example, an unfavorable weight distribution of the payload can require the aircraft to be strongly trimmed, which can increase its fuel consumption during the flight. By means of an extensive detection of as many storage areas as possible using respective pressure sensors 10, this influence can be very accurately detected. Alternatively, however, only the most important storage areas with the heaviest expected loads can be monitored by means of respective pressure sensors 10. For example, only the cargo hold 40 can be monitored accordingly. Thus, the system can be particularly lightweight and cost-efficient.

[0067] Safe travel by aircraft is the most important requirement in aviation. Due to the ever increasing productivity requirement and thus ever decreasing ground time for aircraft, it must be possible to load safely and reliably. Therefore, prior to each flight, it is usually exactly determined in which sections which cargo is to be loaded. However, whether this is done correctly, usually cannot be checked by the ground crew at all or not quickly enough. The pilots calculate the balance of the airplane on the basis of the previously defined load in the loading zones. The trim is adjusted accordingly and the observance of limits is checked. However, the crew and/or the pilot must rely on the fact that the aircraft was in fact loaded as planned. Instead, by means of the system described herein, actual control can take place and safety and efficiency in air traffic can be increased.

[0068] During takeoff or even in the event of strong turbulence, the forces can cause the load to shift. This can also be detected by the system described herein in order to enable correspondingly targeted countermeasures.

[0069] The intelligent monitoring system of the load control described herein is capable of determining the center of gravity of the respective monitored space or payload storage area in the surface coordinates of the aircraft and forwarding them to the cockpit and/or a tablet, for example.

[0070] Likewise, the intelligent load monitoring system can monitor the contents of boxes in the galley, containers, trolleys and/or kitchen bins and reduce maintenance times, since a catering crew can be notified of the consumed goods in advance via remote transmission and/or tablet. Thus, the loading of consumables can be optimized and respective catering costs can be reduced.

[0071] The system can also be used for so-called pantry code monitoring. Each catering loading or composition of consumables has a pantry code. This code allows, for example, conclusions to be drawn about the weight and type of the respective loading. For example, it is not necessary to weigh the catering load. Instead, for example, a loading can be defined once for a specific flight and the airplane can always be loaded with this catering loading. A nominal weight of this loading is known, for example 1.5 tons. Whether each catering loading has been correctly loaded and/or provided can then be finally checked by the system in the airplane. The system can comprise an additional sensor to detect the pantry code of respective payloads, for example by means of a barcode reader. Thus, controlling and monitoring is also possible in this respect. Additionally, it can thus also be taken into account that, for example, the catering loading is correctly composed but has been placed in the wrong location in the aircraft. The evaluation device 16 can also be configured for such a check.

[0072] Likewise, the system can give notice of changes in the respective center of gravity of the monitored space to the cockpit during the flight. With this information, the pilots can intervene in the trim of the aircraft in a targeted way if necessary and avert imminent damage. Due to the high demand for safe travel by airlines as well as the high acquisition costs of aircraft, there is a desire to minimize the ground time (idle time, turn-around time, etc.) of the aircraft. Hence, the system has advantages for airlines and insurance companies.

[0073] The system is a load control and information system that can show and record weight distribution in real time. The payload in individual sectors of the aircraft is weighed. This provides information on the respective pressure per area as well as the resulting center of gravity on the area of the respective measured storage area. The data are sent to the cockpit and/or stored in order to make them available to the airline for evaluation as well as to have them available for further processing and retrieval. For example, these data can also be made available to respective airport operators, in particular sold, in order to improve the work of respective ground crews, such as a loading crew.

[0074] The respective load status of the baggage rooms can be communicated to the pilot by means of a signal. If necessary, the pilot can initiate measures at an early stage, such as a redistribution of payload prior to takeoff. After being transmitted, the findings obtained can be displayed in detail on a computer, tablet, smartphone or smartwatch in order to perform a more precise evaluation. Moreover, they can also be transmitted remotely.

[0075] Respective pressure sensors 10 can serve as a surface or covering of a storage area, which can minimize cost and space requirements. For example, a carpet of the aisle 30 can be formed by a textile surface sensor, whereby the pressure sensor 10 is integrated into the floor covering. By means of the obtained sensor data, information can be obtained as to whether the baggage is stowed as intended or whether there is and/or has been a shift of the load.

[0076] By means of the system, it can also be detected how many drinks and/or dishes of which type are available after completion of the service, in order to automatically request the quantity to be refilled from the caterer.

[0077] By means of the payload monitoring system, the following can be achieved and/or automated: [0078] determination of the center of gravity of the baggage room area in order to optimize fuel consumption; [0079] avoidance of a tailstrike; [0080] identification of shifted baggage and notification to the pilot, in particular immediate notification; [0081] accurate determination of storage capacities, as well as automated reordering; [0082] analysis of the consumption behavior of the passengers; [0083] material fatigue as a function of load over lifetime; [0084] optimization of the trim.

[0085] For example, the pressure sensor 10 generates an unambiguous signal (e.g., in the form of an electrical resistance) that allows conclusions to be drawn about the load position as well as the weight and resultant center of gravity. Information can be derived therefrom as to how the baggage was stowed and whether it maintained its location throughout the entire flight. A corresponding evaluation can be performed by the evaluation device 16. Likewise, information can be derived as to whether the trolleys and/or stowage spaces in the galley are properly and/or sufficiently stocked.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0086] 10 Pressure sensor

[0087] 12 A/D converter

[0088] 14 Transmission device

[0089] 16 Evaluation device

[0090] 18 Database device

[0091] 20 Output device

[0092] 22 Passenger cabin

[0093] 24 Fuselage

[0094] 26 Aircraft seat

[0095] 28 Overhead bin

[0096] 30 Aisle

[0097] 32 Trolley

[0098] 34 Galley

[0099] 36 Work surface

[0100] 38 Stowage space

[0101] 40 Cargo hold

[0102] 42 Floor areas