Method and apparatus for monitoring the take-off and landing procedure of an aircraft and system

Abstract

A method for monitoring the take-off and/or landing procedure of an aircraft (1), in particular for an electrical, vertical take-off and landing aircraft (1), in which a monitoring region of a take-off and landing site (2) is monitored by at least one microphone (4, 5) of a monitoring station to detect sound emission data of an aircraft (1) taking off or landing as it approaches or departs and the detected sound emission data are transmitted from the monitoring station to an evaluation unit. The detected sound emission data are evaluated by the evaluation unit by comparing the detected sound emission data to characteristic sound emission data.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring at least one of a take-off or landing procedure of an aircraft, the method comprising: A) monitoring a monitoring region of a take-off and landing site using at least one microphone of a monitoring station to detect sound emission data of the aircraft taking off or landing as the aircraft approaches or departs; B) transmitting the detected sound emission data from the monitoring station to an evaluation unit; C) evaluating the detected sound emission data by the evaluation unit by comparing the detected sound emission data to characteristic sound emission data; and D) the evaluation unit signaling a controller with a notification, and the controller issuing a clearance for take-off in dependence on an evaluation of the notification.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the comparison in step C is based on the characteristic sound emission data of a same type of aircraft stored in a database, and the comparison in step C includes comparing at least one of a frequency spectrum or an amplitude of a characteristic approach or departure sound emissions of the same type of aircraft.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: issuing a notification to the controller if significant deviations between the detected sound emission data and the characteristic sound emission data are identified, including issuing at least one of a maintenance request or a hold on the clearance for take-off.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: storing detected sound emission data that do not deviate significantly from the characteristic sound emission data in a database.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: storing detected sound emission data with established significant deviations in a database.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: measuring environmental data that permit an association of sound emission data with environmental data using environmental sensors.

7. An apparatus for monitoring at least one of take-off or landing procedure of an aircraft, comprising: a monitoring station with at least one microphone configured to detect sound emission data of the aircraft taking off or landing as the aircraft approaches or departs in a monitoring region of at least one of a take-off or landing site, at least one evaluation unit that is configured to receive the sound emission data from the monitoring station and is further configured to evaluate the sound emission data by comparing the detected sound emission data to characteristic sound emission data of a same type of aircraft, and a controller that is configured to receive a notification from the evaluation unit, and a clearance for take-off is issued in dependence on an evaluation of the notification.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the monitoring station includes at least two microphones, and the microphones cover the monitoring region of the at least one of the take-off or landing site.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least two microphones are arranged symmetrically on both sides along an approach or departure path of the aircraft, and the microphones are inclined in relation to a ground area.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein the at least two microphones have a minimum distance of 20 meters from the at least one of the take-off or landing site.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 7, wherein the evaluation unit is configured to send a notification to the controller if there are deviations between the detected sound emission data and the characteristic sound emission data.

12. A system for monitoring at least one of a take-off or landing procedure of an aircraft, comprising: a monitoring station with at least one microphone configured to detect sound emission data of the aircraft taking off or landing as the aircraft approaches or departs in a monitoring region of at least one of a take-off or landing site, at least one evaluation unit that is configured to receive the sound emission data from the monitoring station and is configured to evaluate the sound emission data by comparing the detected sound emission data to characteristic sound emission data of a same type of aircraft, at least one database that is accessible by the evaluation unit and is configured to provide the characteristic sound emission data, and a controller that is configured to receive a notification from the evaluation unit, and a clearance for take-off is issued in dependence on an evaluation of the notification.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the monitoring station has at least two microphones that cover the monitoring region of the at least one of the take-off or landing site.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the at least two microphones are arranged symmetrically on both sides along an approach or departure path of the aircraft, and have an inclined placement in relation to a ground surface.

15. The system as claimed in claim 12, further comprising: the evaluation unit is configured to send a notification to the controller if there are deviations between the detected sound emission data and the characteristic sound emission data.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the system is embodied as a self-learning system and the database is configured to interact with at least one of the evaluation unit or the controller and is embodied to store detected sound emission data that are within a specifiable tolerance range in the database.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) Further preferred features and embodiments of the method according to the invention and of the apparatus according to the invention and of the system according to the invention will be explained below with reference to exemplary embodiments and the figures. The exemplary embodiments and stated dimensions are merely advantageous designs of the invention and are not limiting.

(2) In the figures,

(3) FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a take-off and landing site with an exemplary embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 2 shows a diagram of the amplitude as a function of the frequency.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(5) FIG. 1 shows a vertical take-off and landing aircraft 1 during the approach to a take-off and landing site 2.

(6) The take-off and landing site 2 has a monitoring region 3. In the present case, two microphones 4, 5 are arranged around the monitoring region 3. An evaluation unit (not illustrated) is a further part of the apparatus for monitoring the take-off and/or landing procedure of an aircraft.

(7) The microphones 4, 5 detect the sound emission data of the landing aircraft as it approaches the take-off and landing site 2.

(8) The monitoring region 3 is that region of the take-off and landing site 2 that is covered by the microphones 4, 5 in sensor-technological terms to detect sound emissions of the landing aircraft as it approaches. The monitoring region 3 is here not only the corresponding surface area of the take-off and landing site 2 but also the corresponding space, that is to say the volume above the corresponding surface area of the take-off and landing site 2.

(9) The microphones 4, 5 are arranged at a distance x from the center (marked by the dashed line Z) of the monitoring region 3. The distance x in the present case is 30 meters.

(10) The two microphones 4, 5 are oriented to face each other. The microphones 4, 5 in the present case are embodied in the form of directional microphones and have an inclined placement a relative to the ground. In the present case, α=45°.

(11) Aerodynamic noise that arises from the displacement of air by the aircraft 1 as such propagates substantially directly below the aircraft 1 in the direction of the ground. The sound emissions coming from the rotor plane RE propagate particularly strongly in the rotor plane RE, that is to say typically in the horizontal at the height of the aircraft 1, and directly below the aircraft 1. Therefore, there is an angular range that is relatively flat and in which other sources of noise are more easily detectable. In such a relatively flat angular range, the sound emissions due to the aerodynamic noise decrease, and fewer interfering superpositions occur.

(12) Since the defects that constitute a safety risk occur more frequently in or near the rotor plane RE, it is advantageous to detect the sound emissions from the rotor plane RE with as few interfering superpositions as possible.

(13) The sound emissions detected by the microphones 4, 5 are transmitted from the monitoring station to the processor-based evaluation unit for evaluating the sound emission data. The detected sound emission data are here compared to characteristic sound emission data of the same aircraft type that are stored in a database (not illustrated).

(14) If significant deviations are established during the comparison, a notification is issued to a controller (not illustrated).

(15) The controller can be embodied in the form of a central monitoring unit, for example in the form of a ground unit with ground staff at the take-off and/or landing site. Alternatively, the notification can also be issued to the pilot of the aircraft.

(16) If a maintenance request is sent, the aircraft needs to be checked for irregularities before the next departure and needs to be actively cleared so that safe redeployment is ensured.

(17) This method thus represents a reliable possibility for identifying defects of the aircraft that cannot be ascertained, or can be ascertained only with great difficulty, for example by onboard monitoring systems, at an early stage.

(18) In an alternative exemplary embodiment, the microphones 4, 5 are embodied in the form of omnidirectional microphones (not illustrated). In this case, the inclined placement of the microphones relating to the ground is not crucial. Rather, the microphones can be placed such that they are straight.

(19) In order to detect as little interfering aerodynamic noise as possible when measuring the sound emissions, it makes sense to arrange the microphones at a large distance x from the center (marked by the dashed line Z) of the monitoring region 3. In the exemplary embodiment using omnidirectional microphones, the distance in the present case is 60 meters.

(20) The diagram shown in FIG. 2 shows the amplitude A of the sound emissions as a function of the frequency f.

(21) The dashed line shows a spectrum with characteristic sound emission data. The lighter, solid line shows a sound spectrum with detected sound emission data. It can be seen that the spectra even in the case of identical types of aircraft do not match completely but exhibit specific small deviations. However, these small deviations do not indicate defects but are rather due, for example, to environmental conditions, approach and departure speed, or interfering noise.

(22) The reference sign 10 denotes a significant deviation between the detected sound emission data and the characteristic sound emission data. The deviation no longer lies in the tolerance range but rather indicates defects.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(23) 1 Aircraft 2 Take-off and landing site 3 Monitoring region 4, 5 Microphones RE Rotor plane Z Center of the aircraft 10 Significant deviation