Aircraft Runway Queue Routing System for Fuel Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Aircraft fuel consumption is significantly impacted by chronic congestion at airports, leading to prolonged waiting times on taxiways and runway entranceways, which increases operating costs for airlines.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that determines whether an aircraft belongs to a runway queue based on real-time geographic location information and airport features, calculates the take-off delay, and communicates this information to air traffic controllers to reroute aircraft to queues with shorter delays, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If aircraft are routed to runway queues based on traditional air traffic control procedures, then air traffic control operations are maintained, but aircraft spend excessive time waiting in queues leading to increased fuel consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary identification of runway queues and calculation of take-off delays before aircraft are routed. By determining queue membership and delay metrics in advance using real-time location data and airport graphs, the system enables proactive routing decisions that minimize waiting time and fuel consumption before aircraft enter the queue
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors real-time aircraft geographic location information and updates queue status dynamically. This feedback mechanism allows air traffic controllers to make informed routing decisions based on current queue lengths and delay predictions, optimizing the balance between maintaining control operations and reducing aircraft waiting time
2Use of energy by moving object
If real-time monitoring and routing optimization systems are implemented, then fuel consumption is reduced, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a unified airport graph data structure that serves multiple functions: representing physical airport features, calculating distances between locations, identifying runway queue membership, and predicting take-off delays. This multi-functional approach reduces the need for separate specialized systems while achieving fuel optimization goals
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary computing system that processes real-time location data and airport graph information to generate routing recommendations. This intermediary layer simplifies the interface between air traffic control operations and fuel optimization algorithms, making the system easier to implement and operate without requiring direct integration into existing control systems
Data Source
AI summary
A method to reduce aircraft fuel consumption includes determining whether a particular aircraft belongs to a runway queue associated with one or more aircraft waiting to take-off from a runway of an airport based on (i) real-time aircraft geographic location information associated with the particular aircraft and (ii) a graph associated with features of the airport. An amount of time the particular aircraft spends in the runway queue before taking off from the runway can be determined. A runway queue take-off delay associated with the runway queue can be determined based at least in part on the amount of time the particular aircraft spends in the runway queue. The runway queue take-off delay can be communicated to a controller terminal of the airport to facilitate routing a different aircraft to a different runway queue associated with a shorter runway queue take-off delay to reduce fuel consumption by the different aircraft.