Trajectory Specification to Support High-Throughput Continuous Descent Approaches
Continuous descent approaches (CDAs) have demonstrated the ability to reduce aircraft fuel burn and noise, while trajectory-based operations (TBO) have been shown to improve the predictability and throughput of aircraft flows. Prior work has recognized the difficulty of implementing CDAs in high-den...
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| Format: | Thesis |
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Massachusetts Institute of Technology
2022
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145179 |
| _version_ | 1811093170895716352 |
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| author | Fasoro, Titilayo |
| author2 | Balakrishnan, Hamsa |
| author_facet | Balakrishnan, Hamsa Fasoro, Titilayo |
| author_sort | Fasoro, Titilayo |
| collection | MIT |
| description | Continuous descent approaches (CDAs) have demonstrated the ability to reduce aircraft fuel burn and noise, while trajectory-based operations (TBO) have been shown to improve the predictability and throughput of aircraft flows. Prior work has recognized the difficulty of implementing CDAs in high-density terminal areas due to an increase in uncertainty, which can result in a decrease in throughput. This thesis investigates whether increased throughput afforded by trajectory-based operations can be combined with continuous descent approach profiles to achieve high-throughput CDA operations. The proposed method in this thesis first determines a CDA profile via trajectory optimization, and then locates waypoints with required time of arrival (RTA) constraints along this profile, to optimize a combination of throughput and fuel burn. For representative terminal-area descent profiles at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), we find that by specifying intermediate waypoints with RTAs, it is possible to use intermediate waypoints with RTAs to increase the throughput by as much as 70%, while incurring an additional fuel burn penalty of 2% per flight. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:40:28Z |
| format | Thesis |
| id | mit-1721.1/145179 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T15:40:28Z |
| publishDate | 2022 |
| publisher | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1451792022-08-30T03:08:53Z Trajectory Specification to Support High-Throughput Continuous Descent Approaches Fasoro, Titilayo Balakrishnan, Hamsa Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Continuous descent approaches (CDAs) have demonstrated the ability to reduce aircraft fuel burn and noise, while trajectory-based operations (TBO) have been shown to improve the predictability and throughput of aircraft flows. Prior work has recognized the difficulty of implementing CDAs in high-density terminal areas due to an increase in uncertainty, which can result in a decrease in throughput. This thesis investigates whether increased throughput afforded by trajectory-based operations can be combined with continuous descent approach profiles to achieve high-throughput CDA operations. The proposed method in this thesis first determines a CDA profile via trajectory optimization, and then locates waypoints with required time of arrival (RTA) constraints along this profile, to optimize a combination of throughput and fuel burn. For representative terminal-area descent profiles at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), we find that by specifying intermediate waypoints with RTAs, it is possible to use intermediate waypoints with RTAs to increase the throughput by as much as 70%, while incurring an additional fuel burn penalty of 2% per flight. S.M. 2022-08-29T16:38:27Z 2022-08-29T16:38:27Z 2022-05 2022-06-09T16:14:16.553Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145179 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright MIT http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| spellingShingle | Fasoro, Titilayo Trajectory Specification to Support High-Throughput Continuous Descent Approaches |
| title | Trajectory Specification to Support High-Throughput Continuous Descent Approaches |
| title_full | Trajectory Specification to Support High-Throughput Continuous Descent Approaches |
| title_fullStr | Trajectory Specification to Support High-Throughput Continuous Descent Approaches |
| title_full_unstemmed | Trajectory Specification to Support High-Throughput Continuous Descent Approaches |
| title_short | Trajectory Specification to Support High-Throughput Continuous Descent Approaches |
| title_sort | trajectory specification to support high throughput continuous descent approaches |
| url | https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/145179 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT fasorotitilayo trajectoryspecificationtosupporthighthroughputcontinuousdescentapproaches |