Abstract: A system and method are provided that monitors ground level ambient air in an airport ground environment while aircraft equipped with electric taxi drive systems and ground level visual monitoring assemblies are driven with the electric taxi drive systems during ground travel. Monitoring assemblies with detection elements having configurations similar to pitot tubes modified with a sensor array are provided to generate data about components in the ground level ambient air identified to adversely affect aircraft engine health. The detection elements may be cooperatively mounted with the ground level visual monitoring assemblies. Ambient air flow is directed into the detection elements to contact the sensor array during electric taxi drive system-powered ground travel. Real time data related to the identified components generated by the sensor array is processed and analyzed, engine health is monitored, and a predictive scheduled of engine maintenance may be developed from the analyzed real time data.

Abstract: A method for designing and operating aircraft nose landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi systems to move aircraft during ground travel. Electric taxi system components are engineered and sized to produce optimal ground travel torque to move aircraft during the majority of aircraft ground travel and are operated in conjunction with the aircraft steering to turn the nose wheels to an effective angle that moves the aircraft during pushback and in breakaway situations. The nose landing gear wheels are turned to an effective angle and the electric taxi systems are operated simultaneously to get the aircraft moving. After breaking away, the aircraft is driven with electric taxi systems at the optimal ground travel torque in a forward or reverse direction with the nose wheels parallel or in a desired ground travel direction with the nose wheels steered in the desired direction of ground travel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for maneuvering and aligning aircraft equipped and driven during ramp ground travel with landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi drive systems that have deviated from taxi line travel paths and for maneuvering the electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft to park accurately to align with locations of parking stops when the aircraft nose landing gear wheels stop beyond or short of a parking stop. The aircraft pilot can, without waiting for a tug or starting aircraft engines, precisely maneuver the aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems while viewing the taxi line and parking stop location in real time with an optional camera and sensor system while maneuvering the aircraft in forward or reverse and lateral directions to align the aircraft nose wheels with the taxi line path and to accurately position the nose landing gear wheels at the parking stop.

Abstract: A powered clutch actuator assembly for integration with a clutch assembly is provided. The actuator and clutch assemblies, sized to fit within constraints of an aircraft landing gear wheel-mounted taxi drive system, are engineered to occupy a default neutral disengaged position that prevents torque transfer when torque to move the aircraft should not be transferred to the taxi drive system. Multiple solenoids and diodes power rotational motion of the actuator assembly to move a bi-directional clutch component in a desired rotational direction during torque transfer. A locking solenoid automatically locks and maintains the actuator assembly in a neutral disengaged condition when none of the solenoids are powered and disengages the actuator assembly when one solenoid is powered to cause rotation of the actuator assembly. Solenoid supports structured to operate as integral heat sinks may direct heat to an on-aircraft heat sink, prolonging the working life of the actuator assembly.

Abstract: A system and a method are provided for safely and efficiently transferring cargo and freight packed in ULD containers directly between an airport freight terminal and freight aircraft. An enclosed freightway is designed to provide a direct connection between the freight terminal and aircraft cargo doors. The enclosed freightway is structured and sized to move ULD containers automatically or manually between freight aircraft and freight terminals. Different freightway configurations enable direct connection between the freight terminal and freight aircraft main cargo door when freight aircraft are driven by electric taxi drive systems or aircraft engines and parked in nose-in orientations and when freight aircraft are driven by electric taxi drive systems and parked in parallel orientations at the freight terminal. An alternative embodiment provides direct connections between freight aircraft cargo doors and interior loading docks for aircraft driven with electric taxi drive systems.

Abstract: A monitoring system and method are provided to monitor ground movement of aircraft driven with electric taxi drive systems and movement of ground service vehicles and equipment and personnel within airport ramp areas. Monitor and sensor devices, including those that are intelligent and employ scanning technology to generate image, positional, and other data may be mounted in locations on aircraft, ground service vehicles and equipment, passenger loading bridges, an airport terminal, and other ramp locations to generate a constant stream of data as the aircraft moves into, within, and out of an airport ramp area. The data stream is transmitted to an artificial intelligence-based processing system to identify and communicate possible safety hazards to multiple locations so that the aircraft's ground travel or a ground vehicle's travel may be altered to avoid identified safety hazards and to avoid collisions.

Abstract: A stator core design and motor winding method maximizing slot fill are provided. A stator core ring section and open U-shaped slot elements are each formed of multiple layers of lamination steel. Laminations forming the slots have a U-shaped profile corresponding to that of the slots. A straight portion of each lamination adjacent to the slot opening is folded to form stator teeth. Laminations forming the ring section and the slots may have a uniform or variable axial thicknesses and materials. A movable jig configures conducting wire and insulating material into a desired configuration for insertion into the open slots, fills each slot with the wire and insulating material, and partially crimps the open end of the filled slot, leaving an opening. When all slots are filled, the stator core is compressed to a final diameter, inserted into a ring-shaped stator element, and sealed to form a complete stator assembly.

Abstract: A monitoring system and method are provided for real time monitoring of flaps, landing gears, or tail skids to determine safe taxi, takeoff, and flight readiness. Monitoring units, including scanning LiDAR devices combined with cameras or sensors, mounted in aircraft exterior locations produce a stream of meshed data that is securely transmitted to a processing system to generate a real time visual display of the flaps, landing gears, or tail skid for communication to aircraft pilots to ensure safe aircraft taxi, takeoff, and flight readiness. Actual flap position alignment with optimal flap setting, proper retraction and extension positions of landing gears, and tail skid condition is ensured. Safety of aircraft taxi, takeoff and flight and airport operations are improved when the present system and method are used to prevent incidents related to misaligned flaps and improperly positioned landing gears or tail skids.

Abstract: A lubrication distribution system is provided for mechanical systems, including gearboxes, to evenly and precisely apply lubricant to system structures during operation. The system includes a rotating lubrication distribution component that functions both to pump and to precisely direct lubricant. Machined locator elements enable accurate positioning of the rotating lubrication distribution component within the system. A plurality of lateral ports and surface features in the rotating lubrication distribution component receive and distribute lubricant transferred during rotation from one or more lubricant collection components with profiled lubricant transfer elements that enables collection of lubricant from eddies produced by profiles of the lubricant transfer elements during rotation of the rotating lubrication distribution component.

Abstract: A lubrication distribution system is provided for mechanical systems, including gearboxes, to evenly and precisely apply lubricant to system structures during operation. The system includes a rotating lubrication distribution component that functions both to pump and to precisely direct lubricant. Machined locator elements enable accurate positioning of the rotating lubrication distribution component within the system. A plurality of lateral ports and surface features in the rotating lubrication distribution component receive and distribute lubricant transferred during rotation from one or more lubricant collection components with profiled lubricant transfer elements that enables collection of lubricant from eddies produced by profiles of the lubricant transfer elements during rotation of the rotating lubrication distribution component.

Abstract: Reduced and low work function materials capable of optimizing electron emission performance in a range of vacuum and nanoscale electronic devices and processes and a method for reducing work function and producing reduced and low work function materials are described. The reduced and low work function materials advantageously may be made from single crystal materials, preferably metals, and from amorphous materials with optimal thicknesses for the materials. A surface geometry is created that may significantly reduce work function and produce a reduced or low work function for the material. It is anticipated that low and ultra-low work function materials may be produced by the present invention and that these materials will have particular utility in the optimization of electron emissions in a wide range of vacuum microelectronics and other nanoscale electronics and processes.

Abstract: A method for increasing airport airside parking locations without adding infrastructure to the airport is provided. Aircraft equipped with pilot-controllable landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi drive systems for ground travel are maneuvered forward into remote tarmac stands or non-standard parking locations with the electric taxi drive systems, turned 180 degrees through tight turns, and parked in a nose-out orientation that enables the aircraft to efficiently unload and load passengers. The electric taxi drive systems drive the departing aircraft forward out of the parking locations. Remote tarmac parking locations may be located in areas that do not interfere with arrival and departure of aircraft parking at existing terminal stands. The present method may increase aircraft parking capacity at an airport, provide better utilization of existing tarmac space at the airport, reduce requirements for ground personnel on a per-flight basis, and improve airport ground operations efficiency.

Abstract: A force limiting system and method are provided for limiting loads in aircraft nose or main landing gear having wheels powered by taxi drive systems mounted within the landing gear wheels to drive aircraft on the ground. The force limiting system may include mechanical components selected to limit or minimize spin-up mass and to releasably connect the taxi drive system to a landing gear wheel section so that operation of the taxi drive system to drive a landing gear wheel is prevented in the presence of a predetermined maximum load. The load limiting system employs mechanical components engineered to securely connect the taxi drive system to the landing gear wheel during operation and to release the taxi drive system from connection to the wheel when loads applied to system components exceed an established or recommended maximum load.

Abstract: A system and method are provided that monitors ground level ambient air in an airport ground environment while aircraft equipped with electric taxi drive systems and ground level visual monitoring assemblies are driven with the electric taxi drive systems during ground travel. Monitoring assemblies with detection elements having configurations similar to pitot tubes modified with a sensor array are provided to generate data about components in the ground level ambient air identified to adversely affect aircraft engine health. The detection elements may be cooperatively mounted with the ground level visual monitoring assemblies. Ambient air flow is directed into the detection elements to contact the sensor array during electric taxi drive system-powered ground travel. Real time data related to the identified components generated by the sensor array is processed and analyzed, engine health is monitored, and a predictive scheduled of engine maintenance may be developed from the analyzed real time data.

Abstract: A method for designing and operating aircraft nose landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi systems to move aircraft during ground travel. Electric taxi system components are engineered and sized to produce optimal ground travel torque to move aircraft during the majority of aircraft ground travel and are operated in conjunction with the aircraft steering to turn the nose wheels to an effective angle that moves the aircraft during pushback and in breakaway situations. The nose landing gear wheels are turned to an effective angle and the electric taxi systems are operated simultaneously to get the aircraft moving. After breaking away, the aircraft is driven with electric taxi systems at the optimal ground travel torque in a forward or reverse direction with the nose wheels parallel or in a desired ground travel direction with the nose wheels steered in the desired direction of ground travel.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for maneuvering and aligning aircraft equipped and driven during ramp ground travel with landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi drive systems that have deviated from taxi line travel paths and for maneuvering the electric taxi drive system-driven aircraft to park accurately to align with locations of parking stops when the aircraft nose landing gear wheels stop beyond or short of a parking stop. The aircraft pilot can, without waiting for a tug or starting aircraft engines, precisely maneuver the aircraft with the electric taxi drive systems while viewing the taxi line and parking stop location in real time with an optional camera and sensor system while maneuvering the aircraft in forward or reverse and lateral directions to align the aircraft nose wheels with the taxi line path and to accurately position the nose landing gear wheels at the parking stop.

Abstract: A system and a method are provided for safely and efficiently transferring cargo and freight packed in ULD containers directly between an airport freight terminal and freight aircraft. An enclosed freightway is designed to provide a direct connection between the freight terminal and aircraft cargo doors. The enclosed freightway is structured and sized to move ULD containers automatically or manually between freight aircraft and freight terminals. Different freightway configurations enable direct connection between the freight terminal and freight aircraft main cargo door when freight aircraft are driven by electric taxi drive systems or aircraft engines and parked in nose-in orientations and when freight aircraft are driven by electric taxi drive systems and parked in parallel orientations at the freight terminal. An alternative embodiment provides direct connections between freight aircraft cargo doors and interior loading docks for aircraft driven with electric taxi drive systems.

Abstract: A method for designing and operating an aircraft nose landing gear wheel-mounted electric taxi system to move aircraft with optimal torque during a broad range of ground travel conditions. Electric taxi system components may be sized to produce optimal ground travel torque to move aircraft during the majority of aircraft ground travel conditions and operated to produce a maximum or breakaway torque to move the aircraft with the electric taxi system when a higher level of torque is required. Turning the nose landing gear wheels to a selected angle or through a range of angles simultaneously as the electric taxi system is operated produces the breakaway torque required to get the aircraft moving. When lower torque is needed, the aircraft may be driven with the nose landing gear wheels parallel to the longitudinal axis to produce optimal torque for electric taxi system-powered aircraft ground travel.

Abstract: An integrated pushback guidance system and method is provided for guiding pushback travel of electric taxi system-driven aircraft. The pushback guidance system may be integrated with existing ramp monitoring systems to monitor reverse pushback travel of pilot-controlled electric taxi system-driven aircraft along an optimum pushback path from a stand to a pushback end location. Visual signals relating to pushback travel safety as the pilot drives the aircraft along the pushback path are generated in real time by the system and transmitted to a range of display devices viewable by the aircraft pilot and airport personnel responsible for guiding aircraft pushback. The pilot may be guided by visual signals on only display devices or with guidance from airport personnel also viewing the visual signals on display devices to drive the aircraft safely in reverse with the electric taxi system along the pushback path to the pushback end location.

Abstract: A method is provided for adding available takeoff and landing slots when aircraft designed for long haul flight are moved quietly and efficiently on the ground without operation of aircraft engines at airports with slot controls and airports that are constrained from operation at certain times by curfews that limit operating hours for these long haul aircraft. Long haul aircraft are powered and driven by onboard non-engine drive means or moved manually or automatically by tugs, tow vehicles, or other transfer apparatus to arrive at a runway before expiration of a morning curfew and to be ready for takeoff as soon as curfew is lifted. Long haul aircraft may land immediately before an evening curfew starts and to move without engines to an airport arrival location after evening curfew starts, effectively expanding and increasing the number of available takeoff and landing slots for long haul aircraft.