Vertical Trajectory Profile Optimization for Flight Cost Minimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current Flight Management Systems (FMS) struggle to optimize fuel consumption and emissions during the cruising phase of flights, as existing solutions either force altitude changes at unrelated geographic points, lack advance planning, or provide short-range optimization with limited guarantees, failing to account for wind changes and overall trajectory efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A method for computing a vertical trajectory profile that optimizes flight cost by iteratively adjusting altitude levels and speeds based on permitted flight levels and wind data, using digital integration and parametric optimization to generate a constrained profile that minimizes operational costs, including fuel consumption and emissions, while allowing for prohibited altitude changes in specific segments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If airlines file flight level changes in the flight plan during preparation phase, then fuel consumption is optimized, but the steps are forced to be performed at geographic points which are unrelated to the vertical flight plan, reducing operational effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary computation of the complete optimized vertical profile during the preparation phase, determining all altitude levels and their corresponding geographic positions in advance. This allows the crew to have a complete optimization plan before departure, rather than making decisions during flight.
Solution Approach 2:
The vertical profile is segmented into multiple altitude levels with specific geographic positions, allowing independent optimization of each segment while maintaining overall fuel efficiency. Each altitude change point is precisely defined by its geographic position rather than being tied to arbitrary waypoints.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the system indicates the instantaneous optimum aerodynamic level during flight, then real-time fuel efficiency is improved, but there is no possibility of advance planning of the trajectory, and wind changes along the trajectory are not taken into account
Solution Approach 1:
The complete vertical profile including all altitude levels and geographic positions is computed in advance during the preparation phase, taking into account wind data and trajectory information. This eliminates the need for real-time decision-making while maintaining optimal fuel efficiency throughout the flight.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses wind data and trajectory information as feedback to adjust the optimal altitude levels and geographic positions in the vertical profile, ensuring that the pre-computed plan accounts for environmental conditions along the entire flight path.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the OPT STEP function computes optimum altitude changes, then fuel consumption is optimized locally, but the optimization is performed on the assumption that the aeroplane remains on the new level until the end of the flight, providing short range optimization with low guarantee
Solution Approach 1:
The vertical profile is divided into multiple altitude levels with specific geographic positions for each change, allowing the system to optimize fuel consumption at each segment while maintaining the ability to adjust to future conditions. This eliminates the assumption that a single altitude level should be maintained until the end of the flight.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically determines the optimal number of altitude levels and their geographic positions based on the complete flight trajectory and wind data, rather than using a fixed single-level approach. This creates a reliable optimization plan that adapts to the specific characteristics of each flight segment.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for creating a vertical trajectory profile of an aircraft by optimization of a criterion representative of a flight cost, comprises: performing a first iterative computation of a profile free of altitude constraints as long as a condition dependent on the criterion is not reached, replacing each free level of the constraint-free profile with a permitted level so as to generate an initial constrained profile comprising a plurality of permitted levels, and, for each level, an altitude change point and a plurality of speeds, and performing a second iterative computation of a profile in which the altitude levels to be reached remain constant, equal to the initial permitted levels of the initial constrained profile, as long as a condition dependent on the criterion is not reached.