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The operational concept of aerodynamic formation flight, also referred to as aircraft wake-surfing for efficiency (AWSE), has high potential in terms of fuel savings and climate impact mitigation. In order to implement this concept, many technological and operational challenges have to be coped with. As the fuel consumption during a mission strongly depends on a successful execution of AWSE, the existing uncertainties regarding flight planning increase. While a conservative fuel planning ensures a follower to complete the mission even in the case of a formation failure, it might result in high amounts of excess fuel and, therefore, additional fuel consumption. In this study, this issue is addressed by the adaptation of flight planning procedures to the requirements of AWSE focusing on fuel planning in particular, considered from the perspective of a designated follower aircraft of a two-aircraft formation. This trade-off is modeled as an n-action two-event decision-making problem. Each of the possible actions is represented by a combination of mission routing and a corresponding diversion airport, taking atmospheric effects (e.g., wind) into account in order to determine the resulting amount of trip fuel. The two events under consideration are a total formation failure in contrast to a complete success. Based on a scenario with a set of double origin destination pairs characterizing the formations and representative weather patterns for the North Atlantic region, each action is analyzed with regard to the expected fuel consumption and expense. Based on a set of assumed formation success probabilities, we find that the proposed method holds a savings potential to reduce the follower’s fuel consumption by
Majed Swaid; Tobias Marks; Florian Linke; Volker Gollnick. Fuel Planning Strategies Considering Operational Uncertainties of Aerodynamic Formation Flight. Aerospace 2021, 8, 67 .
AMA StyleMajed Swaid, Tobias Marks, Florian Linke, Volker Gollnick. Fuel Planning Strategies Considering Operational Uncertainties of Aerodynamic Formation Flight. Aerospace. 2021; 8 (3):67.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMajed Swaid; Tobias Marks; Florian Linke; Volker Gollnick. 2021. "Fuel Planning Strategies Considering Operational Uncertainties of Aerodynamic Formation Flight." Aerospace 8, no. 3: 67.
The aerodynamic formation flight, which is also known as aircraft wake-surfing for efficiency (AWSE), enables aircraft to harvest the energy inherent in another aircraft’s wake vortex. As the thrust of the trailing aircraft can be reduced during cruise flight, the resulting benefit can be traded for longer flight time, larger range, less fuel consumption, or cost savings accordingly. Furthermore, as the amount and location of the emissions caused by the formation are subject to change and saturation effects in the cumulated wake of the formation can occur, AWSE can favorably affect the climate impact of the corresponding flights. In order to quantify these effects, we present an interdisciplinary approach combining the fields of aerodynamics, aircraft operations and atmospheric physics. The approach comprises an integrated model chain to assess the climate impact for a given air traffic scenario based on flight plan data, aerodynamic interactions between the formation members, detailed trajectory calculations as well as on an adapted climate model accounting for the saturation effects resulting from the proximity of the emissions of the formation members. Based on this approach, we derived representative AWSE scenarios for the world’s major airports by analyzing and assessing flight plans. The resulting formations were recalculated by a trajectory calculation tool and emission inventories for the scenarios were created. Based on these inventories, we quantitatively estimated the climate impact using the average temperature response (ATR) as climate metric, calculated as an average global near surface temperature change over a time horizon of 50 years. It is shown, that AWSE as a new operational procedure has a significant mitigation potential on climate impact. For a global formation flight scenario, we estimated the average relative change of climate response to range between 22% and 24% while the relative fuel saving effects sum up to 5–6%.
Tobias Marks; Katrin Dahlmann; Volker Grewe; Volker Gollnick; Florian Linke; Sigrun Matthes; Eike Stumpf; Majed Swaid; Simon Unterstrasser; Hiroshi Yamashita; Clemens Zumegen. Climate Impact Mitigation Potential of Formation Flight. Aerospace 2021, 8, 14 .
AMA StyleTobias Marks, Katrin Dahlmann, Volker Grewe, Volker Gollnick, Florian Linke, Sigrun Matthes, Eike Stumpf, Majed Swaid, Simon Unterstrasser, Hiroshi Yamashita, Clemens Zumegen. Climate Impact Mitigation Potential of Formation Flight. Aerospace. 2021; 8 (1):14.
Chicago/Turabian StyleTobias Marks; Katrin Dahlmann; Volker Grewe; Volker Gollnick; Florian Linke; Sigrun Matthes; Eike Stumpf; Majed Swaid; Simon Unterstrasser; Hiroshi Yamashita; Clemens Zumegen. 2021. "Climate Impact Mitigation Potential of Formation Flight." Aerospace 8, no. 1: 14.
The current push in automation, communication, and electrical energy storage technologies has the potential to lift urban mobility into the sky. As several urban air mobility (UAM) concepts are conceivable, all relevant physical effects as well as mutual interrelations of the UAM system have to be addressed and evaluated at a sufficient level of fidelity before implementation. Therefore, a collaborative system of systems modeling approach for UAM is presented. To quickly identify physical effects and cross-disciplinary influences of UAM, a pool of low-fidelity physical analysis components is developed and integrated into the Remote Component Environment (RCE) workflow engine. This includes, i. a., the disciplines of demand forecast, trajectory, vertiport, and cost modeling as well as air traffic flow and capacity management. The definition and clarification of technical interfaces require intensive cooperation between specialists with different areas of expertise. To reduce this communication effort, the Common Parametric Aircraft Configuration Schema (CPACS) is adapted and used as central data exchange format. The UAM system module is initially applied for a 24-hour simulation of three generic networks in Hamburg City. After understanding the basic system-level behavior, higher level analysis components and feedback loops must be integrated in the UAM system module for evaluation and optimization of explicit operating concepts.
Malte Niklaß; Niclas Dzikus; Majed Swaid; Jan Berling; Benjamin Lührs; Alexander Lau; Ivan Terekhov; Volker Gollnick. A Collaborative Approach for an Integrated Modeling of Urban Air Transportation Systems. Aerospace 2020, 7, 50 .
AMA StyleMalte Niklaß, Niclas Dzikus, Majed Swaid, Jan Berling, Benjamin Lührs, Alexander Lau, Ivan Terekhov, Volker Gollnick. A Collaborative Approach for an Integrated Modeling of Urban Air Transportation Systems. Aerospace. 2020; 7 (5):50.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMalte Niklaß; Niclas Dzikus; Majed Swaid; Jan Berling; Benjamin Lührs; Alexander Lau; Ivan Terekhov; Volker Gollnick. 2020. "A Collaborative Approach for an Integrated Modeling of Urban Air Transportation Systems." Aerospace 7, no. 5: 50.