PROF. T.M .TONG (ECE)
Date: 14 Apr 2014 (Final-B)
4/14/2014
14,000 Ft. Deep?
1
Thank You, References and Disclaimer
• Thanks to Dean Letaief and ECE Chairman Prof. Murch for
allowing me to teach the course ELEC4010D “Survey of
Modern Digital Avionics Systems” in Fall 2013
• Information from (*My former projects & customers):
–
–
–
–
–
*Boeing, *NGC, *Airbus, *NASA, *FAA
ELEC4010D Text “Intro to Avionics Systems” by R. Collinson
*INMARSAT, *GPS
SCMP, CNN
Australian, British, Chinese, New Zealand and USA governments
• Presenter takes full responsibility for the interpretation of
the above data (correct or incorrect)
• Certain charts are from *ELEC4010D course
• NOT to train you as a pilot
(+/- 0.5o = 400+ ml)
(Satellite Images)
Background Scenario
Search Party
Focus
Few Facts!
No Answers!
(NOT to Scale)
14,000 Ft. Deep?
What am I Focusing on*?
Multi-Country Search Party
Explainable (weather,…)
Unexplainable (?)
NATURE
No Ping
After
April 9
Acoustic Water
Channel adds ??
More Uncertainty
MH 370?
Others?
Most Extensive &
Expensive in History
?
?
Theories?
Human
Bermuda Triangle?
Behavior
* Procedures
Avionics Design Philosophy
“Pilot has Ultimate Authority!”
CONCLUSION?
4/14/2014
?
Electric &
Hydraulic?
(HOT Buzz words)
!
*Technology
Space & Airborne
Avionics: Black Box,
FMS/Autopilot/FBW
ACARS/XPDR Ping
INMARSAT, GPS
System Failure
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“Glass Cockpit”- Modern Advanced Digital Avionics
• Airbus and Boeing are dominant leaders (similar philosophy)
• Computerized flight deck replaces 50+ analog dials and knobs
– Engine Indication and Crew Alert System (EICAS) & Extendedrange Twin-engine Operations (ETOPS) allow:
• 2-engine vs. 4-engine non-stop Trans-Oceanic long hauls
• 2 flight crews vs. 4 for long haul and trans-oceanic routes
• 3-hr flight vs. 1-hr flight away from closest airport/ground station
– Communications with long-range radars and satellites
• GPS-aided INS via Kalman filter for optimal flight path
– Flight Management System (FMS) to command Autopilot
– Autopilot to actuators/control surfaces via Fly by Wire (FBW)
•
•
•
•
Hands-free 4-D Flight Management & Path Optimization
Up to Triple and Quadruplex redundancy
Pilot has the
Final Authority
Aviation, Navigation, Communications
Safety, Comfort, Efficiency
4/14/2014
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MODERN FLIGHT MANAGEMENT COMPUTER CAPABILITY
Priority 2.
Priority 1.
AVIATION
(Human Command/override)
Control Surfaces
FBW
COMMUNICATION
Priority 3.
NAVIGATION
Notional
L-side:
Captain
(Both Designs shared Same Philosophy)
R-side: First Officer
EFIS CP:
Electronic
Flight
Instrument
System
Control
Panel
PFD:
Primary
Flight
Display
MFD:
Multi
Function
Display
KCCU:
ND:
Keyboard
& Cursor
Control
Unit
9/4/2013
Navigation
Display
Majority
Vote
Triple (A, B, C)
Redundancy
(Super Safety)
7
(2 Feedback Loops in series)
Feedback
& Compare
Execute Guidance Function by
Generating “Attitude” commands:
Pitch & Roll axes
Operates Aircraft
Outer Loop Response:
Control Surfaces Aircraft rotates about
-Slower
via Actuators Pitch & Roll axes
-Longer Period
Inner Loop Response:
-FBW
-Faster
-Shorter Period
Measure Pitch
& Bank angles
(Actuators)
9/4/2013
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FMS offered Hands Free Pre-planned/Programmed Optimized Flight Path from Take Off to Landing
Pilot PreFlight Input
Start
KCCU
=
PFD
+
Cruise
Take Off
Storm caused
Deviation Storm
4D Optimized
Planned Route
(Lat, Long
Alt, Time)
4/14/2014
ND
Q: Why & Who made
unplanned changes?
Planned
(Lat, Long)
Approach
Auto Land
Go Around (if needed)
9
“Take Off Cruise Climb Cruise Descent Approach Go-Around” - All 7-Phase Pre-planned & Programmed Ahead
Take Off Vels.
Lower part of ND
Q: Why & Who made
unplanned descent?
4/14/2014
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(Pre-planned)
Q: Why & Who made a
Unplanned sharp L-turn?
MH370 FMS/Autopilot, FBW
Electromechanical Systems
- no sign of Failure
Waypoints
Triple Redundancy - Super Flight Safety
9/4/2013
11
Q: Why NO communications to outside
world and and/or equipment OFF?
System
Issues?
2 HF (Long Range) – Voice/Data
3 VHF-AM – Voice/Data (LOS)
2 L-Band SATCOM (INMARSAT) Voice/ Data
2 UHF-AM Radios – Flight Only Radios
XPDR & SATCOM
L-band (1.0x GHz)
RADAR
X-band (10 GHz)
(Same Wireless Eq.)
GPS Constellation
GEO SATCOM
(Indian Ocean)
U/L
D/L
(Long Range Trans-Oceanic)
D/L
Q:
Q: Why ACARS & XPDR OFF?
Q: WHO Turned them OFF?
Black
Box
Voice & Data via
ARINC Communications
And Reporting System
Q: Was Foul Weather the Culprit?
(NO indication?)
Very Sophisticated Long Range
Radar Color (RED)
Picture Display
Multi-Beam Phase Array Radar
can Detect bad weather hundreds
of miles away
(RADAR Equation)
Storm
Route Deviation/Avoidance
4/14/2014
15
Q: Was Total Catastrophic Power, Fuel, Hydraulic & Engine Systems Failure?
A: Highly Unlikely due to 2-3 Independent Systems and back-up Systems
3 Independent Power Units
Fuel Tanks
3 Independent
Hydraulic Systems
4/14/2014
16
Let’s Talk Space “INMARSAT Range Calculation”
Crowded – Not Easily to Relocate
Same Link
Equation
House Keeping
Required to
Maintain Precise
Orbit & Range
4/14/2014
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Q: Why Pilot NOT talked to Satellite?
INMARSAT (GEO ComSat)
NOT designed for ISR tasks
Autonomous Ops
2-week Station Keeping
+/- 0.5o Box
Satellite
Daily
Drift
Daily
Figure 8
(Range Error w/o Daily Correction)
- GEO CommSat not designed for LEO ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance)
- One satellite per Ocean hence unable to pin-point exact 3-D location
- Aircraft XPDR pinging gave rough estimation of Slant Range with errors of hundreds of miles
- GEO Satellite oscillates daily in “Figure-8” movement causing ranging error +/- hundreds
of miles
- Satellite is designed for autonomous operation only required 2-week stationkeeping in order to save fuel and prolong system life
INMARSAT
(GEO, less
frequent correction)
GPS Constellation
(Daily Correction)
Using my Rule of Thumb/Back of the Envelope
estimation ( +/- 0.5o is ≈ +/- 200 miles)
- INMARSAT Scientists (verified by Boeing) that
“7” Flying Transponder Pinging Signals based on
Doppler Effect indicated in Southward Path into
S. Indian Ocean.
- However, GEO Ranging without Station-Keeping
correction suffers from inherent inaccuracy of
hundreds of miles per 0.5o .
- BIG problem to pinpoint a missing plane in the
vast Indian Ocean.
- Still better than looking at the Northerly direction.
Ping# 1
Ping# 6
Southward
INMARSAT Signal Analysis based on Doppler Effect
4/14/2014
19
Summary
• Technical analyses suggested “MH370/B777” Avionic
Systems maintained “Integrity” as designed
• No indication of any “Catastrophic” System failure(s) due to:
– Electrical/Mechanical, Hydraulic, Fuel and/or foul weather
• No reason or explanation of why and who made
– Unplanned flight path changes (both Heading and Descent)
– On-board communication equipment not used/disabled
– ACARS and Transponder were OFF
• My conclusion is “HIGHLY UNLIKELY TECHNICAL” issues due
to built-in redundancy
• Flight Deck Design Philosophy is “Pilot or Flight Deck Crew
has Final Authority and Responsibility of Flight Operations”
4/14/2014
20
Recommendation, Q & A
• Airline industry will change (pilot/carrier) procedures given all
these advanced technologies are already available
• ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) will mandate all
(oceanic) flights be tracked by satellites (similar as below)
4/14/2014
Thanks - “Q & A ”
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