Analytic Approach to Optimal Routing for Commercial Formation Flight

Kent, Tom; Richards, Arthur

doi:10.2514/1.g000806

Cited by 21 publications

(24 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…Kent and Richards [12] investigated the optimal routing for a formation flight case study which involved 210 transatlantic flights. This challenging optimization problem, which requires a large computational effort reveals the need for an analytical range equation applicable to formation flight.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cruise Range in Formation Flight

Voskuijl

2017

Journal of Aircraft

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cruise Range in Formation Flight

Voskuijl

2017

Journal of Aircraft

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“…The geometric approach presented herein is inherently planar in nature; however, it can be extended to hold for problems on a sphere. 7,8 This latter option has not been pursued in this study; rather the great circle routes connecting the various O/D pairs were projected on a plane by means of the so-called azimuthal equidistant projection method, 14 so that the original planar geometric approach can be retained. The azimuthal equidistant projection method has the property that all distances from the center are rendered correctly to scale and that all points on the map are at the correct azimuth (direction) from the center point.…”

Section: Accommodating Synchronization In the Basic Routing Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A decentralized approach to formation flight routing of long-haul commercial flights

Verhagen

Visser

Santos

2018

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part G:

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This paper describes the development of an optimization-based cooperative planning system for the efficient routing and scheduling of extended flight formations. This study considers the use of formation flight as a means to reduce the overall fuel consumption in long-haul airline operations. It elaborates on the operational implementation of formation flight, particularly focusing on the formation flight routing. A completely decentralized approach is presented, in the sense that formation flight is not planned pre-flight and is not subjected to any predefined routing restrictions. A greedy communication scheme is defined through which all participating aircraft are allowed to communicate with neighboring aircraft in order to establish flight formations in flight. A constraint on the formation-flight-induced additional flight time is introduced in order to suppress the occurrence of large detours in the assembly of flight formations. A transatlantic case study is presented that considers 347 eastbound flights. Assuming a 10% fuel flow reduction for any trailing aircraft in a formation, the overall network-wide fuel savings were estimated at 4.3% at the expense of an additional flight time of 10.3 min per flight on average. In this transatlantic long-haul scenario, a formation flight usage rate of 73% was realized.

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“…Significant research has, e.g., been devoted to the development of station keeping autopilots that enable formations to stay in the optimal position (the "sweet spot") relative to each other [6]. Another key area relates to the planning and organization of flight formations on a network-wide scale [14][15][16][17]. Most studies addressing the planning and organization of flight formations often rely on a "bi-level" (or, "two-stage") approach.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trajectory Optimization of Extended Formation Flights for Commercial Aviation

2019

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This paper presents a trajectory optimization study that has been conducted using a recently developed tool for the synthesis and analysis of extended flight formations of long-haul commercial aircraft, with the aim to minimize overall fuel consumption. In extended flight formations, trailing aircraft can attain an appreciable reduction in induced drag and associated reduction in fuel burn by flying in the upwash of the lead aircraft’s wake. In the present study, a previously developed multi-phase optimal control (MOC) framework for the synthesis of two-ship flight formations has been extended to include the assembly of three-ship flight formations. Using the extended tool, various numerical experiments have been conducted in relation to the assembly of two-ship and three-ship flight formations in long-haul operations across the North-Atlantic Ocean. Additionally, numerical experiments have been carried out to examine the impact of wind fields on the synthesis and performance of flight formations. Additionally, a parametric investigation has been conducted to assess the sensitivity of the solutions with respect to the degree of the induced drag reduction that might be attained by the trailing aircraft in a formation. The results of the various numerical experiments reveal that formation flight can result in appreciable reductions in fuel burn in comparison to flying solo—particularly when larger formation strings are permitted.

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Analytic Approach to Optimal Routing for Commercial Formation Flight

Cited by 21 publications

References 44 publications

Cruise Range in Formation Flight

Cruise Range in Formation Flight

A decentralized approach to formation flight routing of long-haul commercial flights

Trajectory Optimization of Extended Formation Flights for Commercial Aviation

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