The Wake Vortex Prediction and Monitoring System WSVBS - Design and Performance at Frankfurt and Munich Airport

Abstract

Design and performance of the Wake Vortex Prediction and Monitoring System WSVBS are described. The WSVBS has been developed to tactically increase airport capacity for approach and landing on single runways as well as closely-spaced parallel runways. It is thought to dynamically adjust aircraft separations dependent on weather conditions and the resulting wake vortex behaviour without compromising safety. Dedicated meteorological instrumentation and short-term numerical terminal weather prediction provide the input to the prediction of wake-vortex behaviour and respective safety areas. LIDAR monitors the correctness of WSVBS predictions in the most critical gates at low altitude. The WSVBS is integrated in the arrival manager AMAN of DLR. Within 66 days of performance test at Frankfurt airport it was found that the system ran stable and the predicted minimum separation times were correct. The capacity improving concepts of operation could have been used in 75% of the time. From fast-time simulations the eventual capacity gain for Frankfurt was estimated to be 3% taking into account the real traffic mix and operational constraints in the period of one month. Aircraft separations for landings on single runways have been compared employing the concepts of either heavy - medium weight class combinations or dynamic pairwise separations where individual aircraft type pairings are considered. The consideration of individual aircraft types and their respective wake characteristics may almost double the fraction of time when radar separation could be applied.