Robust systems and methods for improving passenger jet aircraft fuel economy

Abstract

A method for improving fuel economy on a passenger jet aircraft comprises automatically receiving a communication from the aircraft to a ground station comprising at least one subsystem operating parameter measured during the current flight, detecting whether the operating parameter meets predetermined criteria and, if the criteria are met, automatically sending a communication to indicate the aircraft's status for a next flight. If the criteria are not met, a status of the aircraft is automatically changed and a communication is sent. Other methods and systems are also described.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A method for coordinating maintenance requirements for a fleet of aircraft implemented on one or more processors of one or more networked computers, the method comprising:
 updating a database to schedule at least a first aircraft of the fleet for a routine in-flight auxiliary power unit test on a first date to occur on a qualifying flight within a predetermined interval; and   receiving an electronic communication and automatically updating the database at least once to reflect the status of the first aircraft as the end of the predetermined interval approaches;   wherein, if the first aircraft is later subjected to other maintenance requirements, automatically updating the database to revise the routine in-flight test scheduled for the first date to occur instead on a second date and updating the system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method comprises determining whether a flight is a qualifying flight based on at least one of the following: whether the flight comprises a segment ensuring adequate cold soak start test requirements for the auxiliary power unit, whether the flight is an extended operations flight, whether a flight schedule for the flight allows for adequate turn time of the first aircraft or whether the flight terminates at an appropriate aircraft maintenance facility. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising sending communications to multiple parties, including at least one of communications to an aircraft maintenance party, an aircraft power plant engineering party and an aircraft dispatch party. 
     
     
         4 . A method for improving fuel economy on a passenger jet aircraft implemented on one or more processors of one or networked computers, comprising:
 receiving a communication at a networked computer comprising at least an exhaust gas temperature value for an auxiliary power unit measured while the auxiliary power unit is operating during the current flight;   automatically detecting, using a networked computer, whether the exhaust as temperature value exceeds at least one threshold temperature;   wherein, if it is detected that the exhaust gas temperature does not exceed at least one threshold temperature, then using the a networked computer to automatically set the aircraft's future flight status to operating the auxiliary power unit on demand; and   automatically updating a database, using a networked computer, to reflect the aircraft's future flight status.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising automatically calculating the aircraft's fuel load for a future flight based on the aircraft's future flight status of operating the auxiliary power unit on demand and updating the database to reflect the fuel load for the future flight. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising calculating a fuel load for the aircraft for a future flight using the aircraft's future flight status as an input parameter. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented aircraft maintenance management system for a fleet of aircraft, comprising:
 one or more processors associated with a plurality of networked computers;   memory linked to the one or more processors, at least one memory location having stored aircraft status information for multiple extended operations aircraft; and   at least one display linked to at least one of the processors and at least one memory locations;   wherein the memory has stored instructions to cause the one or more processors to receive a predetermined subset of routine data transmitted via a communications link from an aircraft in current operation, to control setting an extended flight eligibility status for a future flight of the aircraft in current operation based on comparing a current exhaust gas temperature value of the aircraft's auxiliary power unit as received in the routine data to predetermined criteria, to control sending communications to multiple recipients, to update records stored in the memory locations, and to display messages regarding at least the status of the aircraft in operation, the status of other aircraft in the fleet or the status of the communications link.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein, for the aircraft in current operation, the controller sets the status of the aircraft for a future extended operations flight to allowing operation of an auxiliary power unit on an on demand basis or requiring operation of the auxiliary power unit continuously. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein if the exhaust gas temperature value exceeds a first threshold temperature but does not exceed a second threshold temperature, one of the processors automatically sets the aircraft's status to a watch-listed status, and sends a communication regarding the aircraft's watch-listed status to at least a power plant engineer responsible for the aircraft. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein one of the processors determines if the communications link is exhibiting an outage, and if so, initiates a troubleshooting operation to troubleshoot the communications link.