Multicriteria-Optimized Trajectories Impacting Today’s Air Traffic Density, Efficiency, and Environmental Compatibility

Rosenow, Judith; Förster, Stanley; Lindner, Mirko; Fricke, Hartmut

doi:10.2514/1.d0086

Cited by 21 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Cheung et al [13] made recommendations for decision-making at robust trajectories in pre-departure planning. Lindner et al [14] calculated a robust trajectory using the optimization core of TOolchain for Multi-criteria Aircraft Trajectory Optimization (TOMATO), which provides various target functions to optimize trajectories in a free route airspace [15,16]. However, those studies determine a trajectory robust to uncertainties by choosing the flight profile with less fuel consumption for all ensembles or low standard deviation of uncertainties along the path.…”

Section: Trajectory Optimization With Forecast Uncertaintiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In-Flight Aircraft Trajectory Optimization within Corridors Defined by Ensemble Weather Forecasts

et al. 2020

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Today, each flight is filed as a static route not later than one hour before departure. From there on, changes of the lateral route initiated by the pilot are only possible with air traffic control clearance and in the minority. Thus, the initially optimized trajectory of the flight plan is flown, although the optimization may already be based upon outdated weather data at take-off. Global weather data as those modeled by the Global Forecast System do, however, contain hints on forecast uncertainties itself, which is quantified by considering so-called ensemble forecast data. In this study, the variability in these weather parameter uncertainties is analyzed, before the trajectory optimization model TOMATO is applied to single trajectories considering the previously quantified uncertainties. TOMATO generates, based on the set of input data as provided by the ensembles, a 3D corridor encasing all resulting optimized trajectories. Assuming that this corridor is filed in addition to the initial flight plan, the optimum trajectory can be updated even during flight, as soon as updated weather forecasts are available. In return and as a compromise, flights would have to stay within the corridor to provide planning stability for Air Traffic Management compared to full free in-flight optimization. Although the corridor restricts the re-optimized trajectory, fuel savings of up to 1.1 %, compared to the initially filed flight, could be shown.

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Section: Trajectory Optimization With Forecast Uncertaintiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…TOMATO is based on three core modules, which iteratively improve the 4D-trajectory towards the optimization target function. For a comprehensive overview, see [3,5,15,16]. Each iteration consists of the following three steps:…”

Section: Pre-flight Trajectory Optimizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

In-Flight Aircraft Trajectory Optimization within Corridors Defined by Ensemble Weather Forecasts

et al. 2020

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“…Together with typical input variables for trajectory optimization, such as city pair, aircraft type, engine type, payload, optimization function (i.e., minimum fuel burn, minimum time of flight, minimum contrail impact, or multi-criteria optimization), a trajectory optimization model with implemented key performance assessment can be used for the calculation of the optimum vertical and lateral path. Here, we use the validated simulation environment TOMATO [28][29][30] which includes the aircraft performance model COALA [31,32] for vertical optimization and for the quantification of the emissions. In TOMATO, the trajectory is optimized iteratively by assessing each interim solution regarding several key performance indicators (KPI) including contrails [33].…”

Section: Flight Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

“…A consideration of contrails in trajectory optimization tools, if any, has only been found by taking into account a constant value for trajectories through ice-supersaturated regions [22][23][24][25][26]. This consequent avoidance of contrail formation does not, however, lead to a holistically optimized trajectory [27].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individual Condensation Trails in Aircraft Trajectory Optimization

Rosenow

Fricke

2019

Sustainability

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Contrails are one of the driving contributors to global warming, induced by aviation. The quantification of the impact of contrails on global warming is nontrivial and requires further in-depth investigation. In detail, condensation trails might even change the algebraic sign between a cooling and a warming effect in an order of magnitude, which is comparable to the impact of aviation-emitted carbon dioxides and nitrogen oxides. This implies the necessity to granularly consider the environmental impact of condensation trails in single-trajectory optimization tools. The intent of this study is the elaboration of all significant factors influencing on the net effect of single condensation trails. Possible simplifications will be proposed for a consideration in single-trajectory optimization tools. Finally, the effects of the most important impact factors, such as latitude, time of the year, and time of the day, wind shear, and atmospheric turbulence as well as their consideration in a multi-criteria trajectory optimization tool are exemplified. The results can be used for an arbitrary trajectory optimization tool with environmental optimization intents.

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“…With the implementation of the 4D trajectory management, aircraft will not be constrained by waypoints and flight levels any more. Hence, air traffic will be more homogeneously distributed in the upper air space [20][21][22] . Therewith, the available capacity (i.e.…”

Section: Air Traffic Flow Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of optimised trajectories on air traffic flow management

et al. 2019

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Multicriteria trajectory optimisation is expected to increase aviation safety, efficiency and environmental compatibility, although neither the theoretical calculation of such optimised trajectories nor their implementation into today’s already safe and efficient air traffic flow management reaches a satisfying level of fidelity. The calibration of the underlying objective functions leading to the virtually best available solution is complicated and hard to identify, since the participating stakeholders are very competitive. Furthermore, operational uncertainties hamper the robust identification of an optimised trajectory. These uncertainties may arise from severe weather conditions or operational changes in the airport management. In this study, the impact of multicriteria optimised free route trajectories on the air traffic flow management is analysed and compared with a validated reference scenario which consists of real flown trajectories during a peak hour of Europe’s complete air traffic in the upper airspace. Therefore, the TOolchain for Multicriteria Aircraft Trajectory Optimisation (TOMATO) is used for both the multicriteria optimisation of txrajectories and the calculation of the reference scenario. First, this paper gives evidence for the validity of the simulation environment TOMATO, by comparison of the integrated reference results with those of the commercial fast-time air traffic optimiser (AirTOp). Second, TOMATO is used for the multicriteria trajectory optimisation, the assessment of the trajectories and the calculation of their integrated impact on the air traffic flow management, which in turn is compared with the reference scenario. Thereby, significant differences between the reference scenario and the optimised scenario can be identified, especially considering the taskload due to frequent altitude changes and rescinded constraints given by waypoints in the reference scenario. The latter and the strong impact of wind direction and wind speed cause wide differences in the patterns of the lateral trajectories in the airspace with significant influence on the airspace capacity and controller’s taskload. With this study, the possibility of a successful 4D free route implementation into Europe’s upper airspace is proven even over central Europe during peak hours, when capacity constraints are already reaching their limits.

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Multicriteria-Optimized Trajectories Impacting Today’s Air Traffic Density, Efficiency, and Environmental Compatibility

Cited by 21 publications

References 9 publications

In-Flight Aircraft Trajectory Optimization within Corridors Defined by Ensemble Weather Forecasts

In-Flight Aircraft Trajectory Optimization within Corridors Defined by Ensemble Weather Forecasts

Individual Condensation Trails in Aircraft Trajectory Optimization

Impact of optimised trajectories on air traffic flow management

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