Abstract: An energy management method. The energy management method includes: determining a control signal for a flexible power device of a plurality of flexible power devices; modulating the control signal with an identification signal; providing the control signal to the flexible power device of the plurality of flexible power devices; receiving an aggregate power consumption signal of the plurality of flexible power devices from the plurality of flexible power devices; and determining whether the identification signal is present in the aggregate power consumption signal. A computer program product comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the energy management method is also provided. The method can be performed by an energy management system for an aircraft.

Abstract: The present disclosure makes use of the fact that passengers have ways of adjusting the temperature in their immediate environment or indicating their level of comfort or discomfort and uses information about the passengers' use of the temperature control capabilities in their immediate environment and/or indications of their level of comfort/discomfort as an input to a controller of an environmental control system (ECS) to automatically adjust the ECS supply air temperature set point.

Abstract: A method for estimating the brake wear of a brake installed in a vehicle is described herein, comprising acquiring an initial mass of the brake; quantifying the amount of energy that is being dissipated by the brake over a first time period, measuring a temperature increase of the brake over the first time period; estimating the brake mass based on the amount of dissipated energy and the temperature increase; and comparing the initial mass of the brake with the estimated brake mass and estimating the brake wear based on this comparison. The method for brake wear estimation may use indirect or direct methods for quantifying the amount of energy that is dissipated. A system for estimating brake wear and performing this method is also described.

Abstract: An environmental control system for an aircraft includes a first inlet configured to receive recirculation air from a cabin of the aircraft, a second inlet configured to receive fresh air and a manifold for mixing the recirculation air with the conditioned fresh air to form mixed air. The ECS further includes a contaminant removal system configured to remove contaminants from the mixed air to form cabin air and an outlet configured to supply the cabin air to the cabin. The ECS further includes a controller configured to receive air quality information from an air quality sensor, the controller configured to control the contaminant removal system based on the air quality information.

Abstract: A method of controlling cooling of a brake system, includes determining a brake temperature, obtaining a wear rate profile for the brake system indicative of wear rate in dependence on temperature, and controlling activation of cooling of the brake system according to the wear rate profile.

Abstract: A brake cooling system of the present disclosure includes an external cooling apparatus located externally from an aircraft (e.g., available on the ground at the gate during parking of the aircraft). The external cooling apparatus is in electronic communication with the aircraft via a communication channel such that the external cooling apparatus receives live data from the aircraft for intelligent aircraft brake cooling. The live data includes measured brake temperature. The brake cooling system further includes a controller for collecting aircraft data and generating a cooling apparatus control signal.

Abstract: A method for estimating the temperature of a component being monitored is described herein, comprising: inputting data related to the component being monitored into a brake thermal model; using the brake thermal model to predict a temperature of the component based on the input data; inputting a) actual temperature sensor measurement data of the component and b) the predicted temperature into an estimation algorithm, wherein the estimation algorithm combines the a) actual temperature sensor data and b) predicted temperature and generates an estimated brake temperature of the component based on the combined inputs. A computer-implemented system is also described.

Abstract: The present disclosure makes use of the fact that passengers have ways of adjusting the temperature in their immediate environment or indicating their level of comfort or discomfort and uses information about the passengers' use of the temperature control capabilities in their immediate environment and/or indications of their level of comfort/discomfort as an input to a controller of an environmental control system (ECS) to automatically adjust the ECS supply air temperature set point.

Abstract: A system for calculating weight and distribution on an aircraft. The system includes an aircraft, at least one cabin camera configured to view the cabin of the aircraft, an image collector configured to collect images from the at least one cabin camera and a processor. The processor is configured to perform the following steps: a) detecting passengers and/or hand baggage from the images collected from the image collector, b) estimating positions of the passengers and/or hand baggage from the images collected from the image collector, and c) estimating weight of the passengers and/or hand baggage from the images collected from the image collector. The processor also calculates a real-time weight distribution of the aircraft based on the estimates provided in steps a)-c).

Abstract: An aircraft environmental control system comprising a bleed air or compressed ambient air input and a RAM air input, heat exchanger means for receiving bleed air from the bleed air input and RAM air from the RAM air input and using RAM air to cool the bleed air, and means for providing the cooled bleed air to an interior of the aircraft; the system further comprising means for feeding back exhaust air emitted from the interior of the aircraft to combine with the RAM air to further cool the bleed air or compressed ambient air.

Abstract: A method of controlling cooling of a brake system, includes determining a brake temperature, obtaining a wear rate profile for the brake system indicative of wear rate in dependence on temperature, and controlling activation of cooling of the brake system according to the wear rate profile.

Abstract: A method for estimating the temperature of a component being monitored is described herein, comprising: inputting data related to the component being monitored into a brake thermal model; using said brake thermal model to predict a temperature of the component based on said input data; inputting a) actual temperature sensor measurement data of said component and b) said predicted temperature into an estimation algorithm, wherein said estimation algorithm combines said a) actual temperature sensor data and b) predicted temperature and generates an estimated brake temperature of said component based on said combined inputs. A computer-implemented system is also described.

Abstract: A method for estimating the brake wear of a brake installed in a vehicle is described herein, comprising acquiring an initial mass of said brake; quantifying the amount of energy that is being dissipated by the brake over a first time period, measuring a temperature increase of the brake over said first time period; estimating the brake mass based on the amount of dissipated energy and the temperature increase; and comparing said initial mass of said brake with said estimated brake mass and estimating the brake wear based on this comparison. The method for brake wear estimation may use indirect or direct methods for quantifying the amount of energy that is dissipated. A system for estimating brake wear and performing this method is also described.

Abstract: An aircraft environmental control system comprising a bleed air or compressed ambient air input and a RAM air input, heat exchanger means for receiving bleed air from the bleed air input and RAM air from the RAM air input and using RAM air to cool the bleed air, and means for providing the cooled bleed air to an interior of the aircraft; the system further comprising means for feeding back exhaust air emitted from the interior of the aircraft to combine with the RAM air to further cool the bleed air or compressed ambient air.