Trajectory Specification to Support High-Throughput Continuous Descent Approaches
Author(s)
Fasoro, Titilayo
DownloadThesis PDF (3.105Mb)
Advisor
Balakrishnan, Hamsa
Terms of use
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
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.
Date issued
2022-05Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and AstronauticsPublisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology