FASTOP

FAST OPtimiser for continuous descent approaches

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'In the conventional aircraft approach the aircraft receives clearance from Air Traffic Control to descent from the bottom level of the holding stack to a given altitude where it would fly level until intercepting the 3 degree glidepath to the runway. In this flight level segment the aircraft requires additional engine power to maintain constant speed, resulting in an increase of fuel consumption and noise.

A new approach procedure called Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) has been developed and is becoming widespread. In CDA procedures the aircraft stays higher for longer and then descends continuously, avoiding level segments, to the intercept point of the 3 degree glidepath. The CDA approaches reduce fuel consumption, CO2 and NOx emissions as well as noise levels.

To take full advantage of CDA approaches, the continuous descent paths can be optimized to decrease even more the fuel consumption and noise and pollutant emissions. This proposal addresses an onboard fast optimiser for continuous descent approaches which calculates descent profiles minimizing the use of engine thrust and speed brakes while meeting ATC time requirements and maintaining airport landing capacity.

To ensure a successful development of the fast optimiser, the Fastop proposal has been written by a consortium with remarkable parties skills that cover all the mathematical, programming and management needs required by the topic.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

An EU team developed an on-board controller for optimising aircraft Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) to airports. The system smoothes descent by minimising the use of engines and brakes, also considering external factors such as wind.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

Aircraft approaches to airports conventionally involve a series of level stages, requiring additional engine power, which wastes fuel and creates excessive noise. The CDA alternative reduces the terminal moving area capacity, yet increases the complexity of air traffic control (ATC).

The EU-funded FASTOP (Fast optimiser for continuous descent approaches) project aimed to provide a software solution. The three-member consortium was administered under an umbrella group of EU projects called the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI).

FASTOP worked to create an on-board controller that quickly calculates CDA profiles to minimise engine thrust and use of air brakes. Software was also meant to comply with ATC time requirements. The project was originally intended to run for 13 months from November 2012; however, following an extension, it concluded in March 2014.

The group achieved a near-real time optimiser in the C++ language, using the CONOPT non-linear programming solver. The software also featured improved mathematical modelling. Trajectory computations involved numerous complex external factors, including wind, fuel flow and aircraft model. The optimisation process ran every time the aircraft trajectory deviated from a given error threshold. The optimiser was integrated into the National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) simulator in Amsterdam, and flight test evaluations were planned for 2015.

Researchers presented two conference papers on the work.

The FASTOP project developed a flight control system to optimise airport CDA. Flight testing had also been scheduled.