Title: Bird detection and avoidance system for aircraft

Transcription

1 Title: Bird detection and avoidance system for aircraft List of participants: Participant No Participant organisation name Country 1 Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) Spain 2 Institut Català d Ornitologia (ICO) Spain 3 Institut de Ciències Fotóniques (ICFO) Spain 4 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Canada

2 Index 1. Excellence Objectives Relation to the work programme Concept and methodology 4 a) Concept 4 b) Methodology Ambition 4 3. Implementation Work plan Work packages, deliverables Management structure, milestones and procedures Consortium as a whole Resources to be committed Members of the consortium Participants Third parties involved in the project Ethics and Safety Ethics Safety 18 2

3 1. Excellence 1.1 Objectives It is well known that bird strikes are a problem to solve in aeronautics. The cost of bird strikes to airlines is around US$1.2 billion annually. So, the main objective of this project is to detect and avoid the bird collision during in flight, taking always into account the integrity of the bird and the aircraft. As an enterprise, our objective is to convince airlines that this system will imply a significant reduction of bird strikes costs, and also that a bird avoidance system working on board means an increase of the safety during flight: specially during take-off and landing, where bird strikes are more usual. It s very usual that aerodromes upload NOTAMs warning about birds in vicinity of the aerodrome. Also, this project has a secondary objective: ensuring birds safety on aerodrome vicinity. It s true that usually aerodromes have their own bird avoiding systems, but the fact is that nowadays bird strikes are not an eventual happening; so a second system on bird collision avoidance system would be accepted both by aerodrome administration and airlines. The overall objective of this project, then, is meaning an inflection point on this trouble on aeronautics. Our main clients are airlines, which are expected to buy and implement our product. Once the system is implemented on the aircrafts, our enterprise will make a study on the cost reduction of bird strikes. 1.2 Relation to the work programme This proposal is done to improve the safety in aeronautics avoiding structural damage to aircrafts. This not only causes significant damage to the plane but can also create hazardous and unsafe flying conditions if critical damage occurs. At the same time, we want to protect birds from impacts, which are usually fatal for them. On airport vicinity, there are already some methods that solve this problem but when the airplane is in flight nothing can protect them. In relation with the FET, this project combines multidisciplinary areas of trending technology branches, which are now not related, making it an attractive model to the FET. While aerospace engineers work on the implementation of the systems on aircrafts, biologists develop studies about this technology affection on birds. The experts of the ICFO are the duties of developing the main technology. 3

4 1.3 Concept and methodology a) Concept The main idea is to follow on of the concepts used in airport but with a previous detection of the bird. We will detect birds using a radar due to the aircraft is already equipped with it. And for avoidance we will use lights that would provide an earlier warning so the birds can avoid the aircraft. Some of these changes to the light might be imperceptible to humans. b) Methodology First of all, we will research which light is the most effective and less prejudicial for the other airplanes. In order to do that, we will try different spectrums of lights. On this part, ICFO (Institut de Ciències Fotòniques) will take the principal tasks in a laboratory where they will study the behaviour of all types of lights. Other important task will be the study of the behaviour of birds where the ICO (Institut Català d Ornitologia) will discover which are the reactions of the birds in front of the different types of lights. Then using drones, we will demonstrate that our system can detect and scare the birds correctly. This will be done in the Aerodynamics and Mechanics Laboratories of UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) where a tunnel wind is provided and will help us to demonstrate the utility of our system. Once each part has their own results they will work together to build the system, which will be the desired laser. All of this will be controlled by the management of the project who will run the coordination of all the different parts of the project. All of that will be done also taking into account all the requirements that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) ask to us in order to meet security. 1.4 Ambition So, we expect to reduce the total among of birds hit by aircrafts in almost 50 %. We believe that could be achieved because similar systems have been implemented on the airports before, and it was proved that there was a big change on the total volume of hits. We know that this project is very ambitious because any change on aircrafts or in aeronautical industry takes a lot of years to be implemented, but trust in it because it will improve safety and save lots of money to airlines. 4

5 2. Impact 2.1 Expected impacts The biggest impact will be to reduce the majority of bird strikes of the aircraft during the flight. Avoiding this impact will contribute in a better safety during flight. That s because bird strikes are one of the main causes of an engine issue, which is considered on the top level of the airplane global safety. This would impact on aircraft manufacturer industry because this tool should be included by default. That means, once it s decided to apply on aircraft, they should this tool on their production line. In addition to property damage, collisions between flying objects and conveyances and birds is a really important contributing factor, among many others, to the worldwide decline of many avian species that impacts directly on the natural environment. Also, for the airlines that operate these airplanes will need all the information about it. But, has been decided that we will not develop this part. The manufacturer should be in charge of it; these means from explain the pilots and engineers how it works, the correct way to make use of it even provide the needed manual to do the maintenance. As explained before on the section 1, the losses approximated of all airlines are around US$1.2 billion annually, in terms of direct repairing cost and lost of revenue opportunities while the damaged aircraft is out of service. So, airlines will be the most benefited part on the industry. There s one main problem that could determine whether the project could be achieved or not. The International Civil Aviation Organization, ICAO, should approve it. These implementation changes the airspace in terms of safety drastically. So ICAO is in charge to ensure the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. Therefore, this organization must approve this project in order to be carried out. We will cooperate with them in order to develop the certification part of this project. Also, the different administration organs of aeronautical regulation for each countries, they should approve the use of it on their own controlled airspace. Another point is that from the point of view of the environment, it can have an impact on the behaviour of the birds. Perhaps its behaviour will be distorted, which could contribute on a change for the local air environment. For the purposes of public opinion may be frowned upon. 2.2 Measures to maximise impact a) Dissemination and exploitation of results As we said before on the previous section, in this case is not mandatory to provide a complete draft plan because it s not on our hands to implement the project neither before nor after. The problem here is that we will develop the plan for the first phases, which are possible economically speaking. 5

6 So that, this first phase will consists on gathering data and doing tests on small scale. The among of data that should be recollected comes from the specifications of the light avoidance system that it will be used. We will gather this quantitative data to choose the option, in order to be able to continue the project. Also to implement it on the aircraft, it has to be done some reliability, performance and efficiency tests. Although, this part of the procedure does not depend on us directly. It s not expected to have any complexity doing the analysis of data, because we will not be developing difficult algorithms to understand the data. As explained before it is a really simple system nowadays. So we should only test it, and to prove statistically its efficiency. We believe that the costs associated to this among of data should be almost null. b) Communication activities For promoting this project, it can be said that is not a product to be sold for the general population. So that, we need to focus on some strategies for offering our project to the different companies in the aeronautics industry who involved in the project. Therefore, they are included the biggest to players on the industry: the manufacturers and the airlines. From the point of view of the manufacturer, this project should convince them to apply to their fleet of aircrafts, because their aircraft safety will improve massively, so aircraft that have this system will be better than without it with a little cost, compared with the other system of the plane. On the other hand, the airlines should know, that taking advantage of this system, they could offer their passenger the most modern planes on the market. In an industry where an accident it's so devastating, people can be willing to pay a little more to travel in the best safety conditions. 6

7 3. Implementation 3.1 Work plan Work packages, deliverables To manage this project there are five groups of work: Management, study of light, aerodynamics study, certification and environmental impact. First of all, we will study which is the best spectrum of light to scare birds without dazzle humans, it can last up to 5 months. In parallel some of ours engineers will study which is the best location to put the lasers without perturbing the aerodynamics of the plane and to get the best efficiency. Ones this will be done, with some simulations we will test if the results are well enough to sell the product. Finally, when we have some results the environmental impact part will start to know how this laser will affect birds. These parts will be coordinated by a manager work plan and will work with authorities for the posterior certification. Id Modo de Nombre de tarea Duración Comienzo Fin tarea 1 Management 544 días lun 19/03/18jue 16/04/20 2 Coordination with 544 días lun 19/03/18 jue 16/04/20 each part involved 3 Study of light 219 días lun 02/04/18jue 31/01/19 4 spectum of light 111 días lun 02/04/18 lun 03/09/ T4 T1 T2 T3 T4 T1 T2 T3 T4 T1 T2 T3 T4 T1 T2 T3 T4 T1 T2 T3 31/01 5 intensity 174 días lun 04/06/18 jue 31/01/19 6 Aerodynamics study 371 días mié 01/08/18 mié 01/01/20 7 Fuselage 110 días mié 01/08/18mar 01/01/19 8 Wings 262 días mar 01/01/19mié 01/01/20 9 Certification 544 días lun 19/03/18jue 16/04/20 10 ICAO 544 días lun 19/03/18 jue 16/04/20 11 EASA 264 días lun 15/04/19 jue 16/04/20 12 Enviromental impact 347 días vie 01/03/19 lun 29/06/20 13 Birds 303 días vie 01/03/19 mar 28/04/20 14 Aircraft 128 días jue 02/01/20 lun 29/06/20 Tarea Tarea manual Fecha límite División solo duración Línea base Proyecto: Proyecto1 Fecha: lun 19/03/18 Hito Resumen Resumen del proyecto Informe de resumen manual Resumen manual solo el comienzo Hito de línea base Resumen de línea base Progreso Tarea inactiva solo fin Progreso manual Hito inactivo Tareas externas Resumen inactivo Hito externo Página 1 Figure 1. Grant chart 7

8 Work package number Work package title 1 Lead beneficiary UPC Management Participant number Short name of participant Person months per participant: UPC ICO ICFO ICAO Start month March 2018 End month April 2020 Objectives Description of work Deliverables Coordinate each part of the project with each part implicated. This team will work for a better operation of the global project. During the study process, it has to deliver a report each month to keep track of the work done and the expenses. Table 3. 1a. Work package 1 Work package number Work package title 2 Lead beneficiary ICFO Study of light Participant number Short name of participant Person months per participant: ICFO ICAO ICO Start month April 2018 End month January 2019 Objectives Description of work Study the appropriated spectrum of light and its intensity to not harm birds. This study will be performed in ICFO installations jointly with two experts in birds, which will decide if the light could harm birds. The responsible of light will be able to choose a spectrum that has to be invisible for human, so other pilots cannot 8

9 be dazzle. This light has to be approved by ICAO, so a responsible of this authority will work on the project. Deliverables Work package number Work package title It has to deliver a report each month to keep track of the work done and the expenses. Some results proving that birds are not affected and the approval of ICAO. A final deliverable as a prototype with the light choose Table 3. 1a. Work package 2 3 Lead beneficiary UPC Aerodynamics study Participant number Short name of participant Person months per participant: UPC ICFO ICAO Start month August 2018 End month January 2020 Objectives Description of work Deliverables Decide the best location for each light on the aircraft without perturbing aerodynamics forces. Using the knowledge and the results from work package 2, study of light, decided where is the best locations of these light in the aircraft. First studying the locations on the fuselage and after that trying if it is better the wings. These studies and test will be done in UPC laboratories. ICAO will be there for the approval of the locations and make sure that the safety of the plane is not disturbed. There will be a report twice a month to make any necessary change as soon as possible. Table 3. 1a. Work package 3 9

10 Work package number Work package title 4 Lead beneficiary ICAO Certification Participant number Short name of participant Person months per participant: ICAO UPC ICFO Start month March 2018 End month April 2020 Objectives Description of work Deliverables Certificate the laser light on aircraft Manage with almost every participant on the project the future certification of the lasers lights. Make sure that birds will be not harmed, it cannot dazzle other pilots, aircraft performances and aerodynamics forces are not affected. There will be a report twice a month the authorities response to make any necessary change as soon as possible in coordination with the others participants and workpackages. Table 3. 1a. Work package 4 Work package number 5 Lead beneficiary ICO Work package title Environmental impact Participant number 2 1 Short name of participant ICO UPC Person months per participant: 2 1 Start month March 2019 End month January 2020 Objectives Ensure birds life without any damage and consumption does not increase. 10

11 Description of work Deliverables This team will work on the safety of birds, ensuring that they are not harm, and its life is not affected. The kind of light and its locations must not influence birds life, so for these study some birds will be test with the light after the theoretical study. Aircraft performances will be disturbed by this new gadget so it is important the new study of consumption. There will be a report once a month the result of each study Table 3. 1a. Work package 5 Lead Lead Work Work Participant Participant package No Package Title No Short Name Person- Months Start Month End month 1 Management 1 UPC 4 March April 2 Study of light 3 ICFO 7 April January 3 Aerodynamics study 1 UPC 4 August January 4 Certification 4 ICAO 4 March April 5 Environmental 2 ICO 3 March January impact Table 3. 1b. List of work packages Total personmonths 22 Deliverable Deliverable (number) name Work package number Short name of lead participant Type Disseminati on level Delivery date (in months) 1 First results 1 UPC R PU June Plan 1 UPC DEM PU March Spectrum analysis 2 ICFO DEM PU August Intensity results 2 ICFO R PU January

12 5 Perturbations on fuselage 3 UPC R PU November Perturbation on wings 3 UPC R PU March 7 Fuselage location 3 UPC DEM PU December System demonstration 3,1 ICFO, UPC DEM CO January Birds impact 5 ICO R PU February Aircraft consumption 5 UPC R PU February Table 3. 1c. List of deriverables Birds detection and avoidance Management Study of light Aerodynamics Study Certification Enviromental impact Spectrum Intensity Fuselage Wings Birds Consumption Figure 2. Pert chart 12

13 3.2 Management structure, milestones and procedures Milestone number Milestone name Related work package(s) Due date (in month) Means of verification 1 Light chosen Study of Light Month 4 Laboratory study compilation of all types of lights and results of the best one. 2 Tunnel wind Aerodynamics Study Month 6 Simulation on the wind tunnel with results. 3 Costs Management Month 4 Study of the costs until that day. 4 Birds Behaviour Environmental Impact Month 6 Compilation of behaviour of different types of birds with different types of birds. 5 Permissions Certification Month 5 Table 3. 2a. List of milestones Compilation of restrictions. As we can see, this project is really ambitious and for this reason, it is done in four important different phases where we study all the necessary to achieve our goal. All four phases are really important and necessary and has to be taken into account really seriously. 13

14 Description of risk (indicate level of likelihood: Low/Medium/High) The frequency of the light and the range because we have to find a frequency not dangerous for the birds and at the same time has to have the necessary range (Medium). Work package(s) involved Study of light Proposed riskmitigation measures Use a multi-frequency laser, which have different frequencies and we can use them depending on the velocity of the airplane. The behaviour of the birds is really affected for the laser (Medium). Environmental Impact and study of light A good cooperation job between ICO and ICFO. The different work packages don t achieve the deadlines and there are difficulties to join the project. (Medium) 3.3 Consortium as a whole Management Table 3. 2b. Critical risk for implementation Have reasonable deadlines and do periodically meetings. As we can see, every one of the project participants will be the lead of each one of the work packages described above. It is done because each one will be expert in a different item so will control better the work package. As a whole, we will do periodically meetings which all the teams where each lead will explain what has done and how it is done. The methodology will be doing visual presentations previously realized which will facilitate the understanding of all the participants in the meeting. So, the consortium will be formed for four departments. First one will be the one dedicated to the study of the light; the second one will study the environmental impact; the third one will do the aerodynamics study and the fourth one will prepare all needed to get the necessary certifications. Light and Aerodynamics departments will consist on two-separated scientific and engineering laboratory groups, which will investigate all the possibilities and choose the best one. Environmental impact will study the behaviour of birds. Finally, Certification department will prepare all the necessary documents, which demonstrate the benefits and the correct use of the product. Obviously, all of them are essential for the project and will have the adequate resources to fulfil the designed role. 14

15 3.4 Resources to be committed Study of light Environmental Impact Aerodynamics Study Management Certification Total person- Months per Participant UPC 14 months 5 months 19 months ICO 12 months 2 months 14 months ICFO 8 mont hs 2 months 10 months ICAO 2 months 18 months 20 months Total Person Months 8 mont hs 14 months 14 months 7 months 20 months 63 months Table 3. 4a. Summary of staff effort 1. UPC Cost ( ) Justification Travel - Equipment Rent the laboratory with the wind tunnel and office material (computers ) Other goods and services 500 Matlab licence Total Table 3. 4b. Other direct cost items 1 2. ICO Cost ( ) Justification Travel - Equipment Laboratory place in ICO to realize the necessary study of environmental impact. Other goods and services - Total Table 3. 4b. Other direct cost items 2 15

16 3. ICFO Cost ( ) Justification Travel Equipment Visit other organizations to learn about lasers and light. Laboratory place in ICFO to do the study of light. Other goods and services - Total Table 3. 4b. Other direct cost items 3 4. ICAO Cost (euros) Justification Travel Travel to Spain to interact with the other parts of the project. Equipment Licences and permissions. Other goods and services - Total Table 3. 4b. Other direct cost items 4 16

17 4. Members of the consortium In this section, the involved parts of the project and a description of their activities, as well as their role in the project are detailed. 4.1 Participants. First, we will detail the participants of our group. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC). This participant takes part on this project being the mandated to make an study about aerodynamics when the system is implemented on the aircraft. Then, it s the part, which makes a technical study of the aeronautical part of the project. Institut Català d ornitologia (ICO). This part ensures birds safety when implementing the system on board. Our project includes some technology, which has been supervised by the ICO. Institut de ciències fotòniques (ICFO). The ICFO makes a technical study, in this case, on the science of the main system. The system contains many different subsystems, which have been developed by this part. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This regulatory entity will ensure that the aircraft equipped with the system developed fulfils the standards imposed by them, in order to ensure civil aviation safety. All the participants of the project are UPC Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya students. Their knowledge about air navigation systems, and also about aerospace infrastructure, will be their most important accreditation. 4.2 Third parties involved in the project. Due to the fact that this project requires multiple implied parts, we will detail the entities involved. As an Aerospace project, requires the intervention of the developers, but a certification of the regulatory entities is mandatory too. Also, aircraft manufacturers should authorize it too. Aircraft Manufacturer: That s not a sub-contracted part. The aircraft manufacturer should only authorize, from a technical point of view, the implementation of the system. Also, a study of the performances of the aircraft should be done, taking into account that there s a new element on it. EASA (European Airspace Safety Agency): Once the ICAO authorizes the project, should standardize it to all airlines, as its main task is to regulate and homogenize airlines actuations. Main system producer: This will be our only sub-contracted part. We will need the intervention of the producer of the light included on our system. 17

18 5. Ethics and Safety 5.1. Ethics As a project working on providing security both on aircrafts (or their systems) and birds, we should ensure this project not to represent a hazard, most of all, for birds. Nowadays, approximately 5100 bird impacts per year are reported, but it s estimated that only 20-30% of total impacts are reported. This means that there are between and bird strikes with aircrafts. The aim of this project is to reduce this number, in order to decrease airlines losses, and also to ensure security. From the ethics point of view, we ensure that the detection and avoidance system does not imply worse consequences for birds. First, we prove that the RADAR performances are not harmful for birds. The detection does not imply any damage, as this technology is very commonly used. The avoidance system, consisting on lights used to make birds move, is not representing an annoyance for birds. On the other hand, the aim is to prevent collisions, which in most cases would imply worse consequences for both parts. It s important to mention that the fact that birds are forced to change their emplacement, being this permanent or temporary, does not depend on the way they are. This project s objective is to make this process less traumatic Safety This project, in fact, works on ensuring safety for aircrafts and birds, so in this section we should only consider the fact that carrying any extra system on board means that safety may be reduced. To ensure that there s not a significant safety reduction, both aircraft s manufacturer and ICAO are involved in this project. Aircraft manufacturer is expected to make a study about aircraft s dynamics carrying the system and certifying there is no problem on giving the aircraft an extra load, while ICAO certifies and approves the system on commercial aviation. 18