Air Traffic Schedule Management Using Early Descent Trajectories
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current air traffic management systems rely on clearance-based control, which does not consider preferred aircraft trajectories, leading to inefficiencies and increased costs, as they primarily focus on safety and separation without optimizing for cost or user-preferred routes, especially when dealing with time delays and trajectory conflicts.
Innovation Solution
A schedule management system that uses on-aircraft flight management systems to determine aircraft trajectories and flight-specific cost data, which is then analyzed by a ground-based decision support tool to determine cost-efficient trajectory alterations, including early-descent maneuvers, to absorb time delays and optimize air traffic flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If clearance-based control is used to ensure safety and separation, then safety is improved, but air traffic efficiency and cost-effectiveness deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors aircraft position, velocity, and trajectory data, comparing actual trajectories against preferred trajectories and safety constraints. This feedback loop enables dynamic adjustments to be made while maintaining safety, allowing aircraft to operate more efficiently without compromising separation standards.
Solution Approach 2:
Aircraft autonomously determine their own preferred trajectories based on their flight management systems, allowing them to self-optimize their paths while the system ensures safety constraints are met. This reduces reliance on centralized clearance-based control while maintaining safety through automated conflict detection and resolution.
2Loss of time
If traditional speed changes and lateral flight path alterations are used to absorb time delays, then schedule management is achieved, but fuel consumption and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of descent timing by implementing early descent maneuvers. Instead of maintaining cruise altitude and making lateral or speed adjustments, aircraft begin descending earlier in their flight path, which allows for more fuel-efficient delay absorption while maintaining schedule management capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces vertical dimension utilization by implementing early descent maneuvers. Rather than only using lateral flight path changes or speed adjustments, the system exploits the vertical dimension of flight to absorb delays more efficiently, allowing aircraft to descend to lower altitudes where more fuel-efficient flight conditions exist.
3Reliability
If aircraft fly assigned routes determined by air traffic control, then safety and separation are maintained, but user-preferred trajectories and operational costs are not optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts assigned routes based on real-time conditions and aircraft-specific preferred trajectories. Rather than using static, pre-assigned routes, the system continuously optimizes flight paths while maintaining safety constraints, allowing routes to adapt to changing conditions and aircraft preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
Aircraft determine their preferred trajectories in advance using their flight management systems before receiving clearance. This preliminary determination of optimal paths allows the system to pre-calculate more cost-effective routes while ensuring they meet safety requirements, reducing operational costs before flights commence.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method to improve efficiency in aircraft maneuvers meant to accommodate time-related constraints in air traffic. Information related to flight performance and atmospheric conditions is gathered onboard an aircraft, then transmitted to an air traffic control center. In the event of a delay or any other event which necessitates an alteration in an aircraft trajectory, the data is sent to a decision support tool to compute and provide alternative trajectories, preferably including operator-preferred trajectories, within air traffic constraints. Air traffic controllers can then offer an alternative trajectory to an aircraft that is more efficient, cost effective, and/or preferable to the aircraft operator.