AC 922-001 Section (2), (3), (4) - section overview

In plain language

This section outlines the compliance process for CAR Standard 922.07, including the development of a Notional Concept of Operations (CONOPS), the calculation of maximum linear kinetic energy to determine reliability requirements, and the performance of a System Safety Assessment.

Requirement as structured

This section outlines the compliance process for CAR Standard 922.07, including the development of a Notional Concept of Operations (CONOPS), the calculation of maximum linear kinetic energy to determine reliability requirements, and the performance of a System Safety Assessment.

Original regulatory text

(2) Notional CONOPS . The first step in showing compliance to this standard will require the development of a Notional Concept of Operations. This will determine the expected “average operation", and to inform the criticality classifications of the system. The notional CONOPS will be used to assist in the failure effects analysis. If specific assumptions from the CONOPS are used to lower the hazard classification used, then these assumptions must be included as operational limitations in the RPAS operating manual. For example, if the notional CONOPS assumes that for certain types of operations, a flight termination system, parachute system, or an independent battery is available, then a limitation would be required for these operations requiring that these systems be installed and operational when the RPAS is operated. The Notional CONOPS is critical enough to the RPAS development process that a copy of the Notional CONOPS is required as part of the data package when an applicant applies for a pre-validated declaration. Refer to AC <TBD on PVD> for more information. As discussed above, the notional CONOPS should be the superset of all permitted operations with the RPAS, and any limitations or assumptions that could result in limitations must be passed on to the operator. (3) Use of Kinetic Energy to Specify Reliability Requirements . The specific safety objectives of 922.07 are based on the RPA maximum kinetic energy. Applicants are required to determine the maximum kinetic energy that their system is likely to attain following a worst-case failure condition. In general, this will require a creation of an Aircraft Level Functional Hazard Assessment (refer to SAE ARP4761) to determine which failure, or combination of failures could result in the highest RPA velocity. This assessment is intended to be the kinetic energy derived from the maximum linear velocity of the aircraft at maximum operating mass. This measure can exclude rotational kinetic energy contained in rotating parts, as well as chemical potential energy contained in fuel tanks and batteries. It’s acknowledged that certain drone configurations can have considerable rotational kinetic energy in the form of spinning rotors, or chemical potential energy in the form of fuel or batteries, However, it is much harder to quantify the injury potential from these sources because they are highly dependent on the exact crash conditions. Furthermore, following a crash, rotating parts (which are typically light weight rotors and propellers) tend to dissipate kinetic energy over a short distance, and chemical sources (fuel/batteries) tend to dissipate energy slowly (burning) rather than explosively. As mentioned above, the hazard created by these energy sources depends greatly on the specific conditions of the crash. For these reasons, linear kinetic energy alone is used as it provides a standardized measurement of the damage potential present in a particular RPAS, and the intent is that the safety criteria (failure rates, design assurance, required standoff distances) are sufficient to provide adequate mitigation for the other sources of energy contained in the RPAS. However, there may be cases where unconventional aircraft designs make these assumptions invalid. In these cases, the safety case needs to be reviewed to determine if the use of linear kinetic energy alone is still applicable. Examples could include RPAS with heavier than normal rotating parts, pressurized tanks of fuel (i.e. Hydrogen, significant amounts of fuel, etc.), or carriage of dangerous goods. Refer to AC901-001 - RPAS Safety Assurance Declaration and Pre-Validated Declaration Processes for more information on declarations involving unconventional designs. The Kinetic Energy categories used for 922.07 have an upper limit at 1084kJ. Applicants are encouraged to contact Transport Canada if they feel that the kinetic energy of their RPAS is more than 1084kJ, or if there are special considerations with respe

Applies when

country

Canada

regulatory category

Specific