Time and Energy Management during Descent and Approach: A Batch-Simulation Study

Abstract

A noval integrated planning and guidance concept has been developed that optimizes aircraft trajectories from Top of Descent to the runway threshold to achieve a continuous engine-idle descent. The new concept, named Time and Energy Managed Operations (TEMO), aims at reducing noise, gaseous emissions and fuel burn while maintaining airport landing capacity by means of time management. TEMO uses an optimization algorithm to minimize thrust and speedbrake use through energy management by exchanging kinetic and potential energy. Sustained deviations during descent are corrected using a strategic or tactical approach. TEMO is evaluated in a batch simulation study and compared with conventional step-down descents in terms of environmental impact. Various disturbances are introduced to test TEMO's robustness to disturbances and time constraints. Moreover, the two different methods of correcting deviations are compared. The results show that TEMO allows idle descents whilst adhering to time constraints and reduces the environmental impact of aircraft. Moreover, TEMO can cope with disturbances and updated time constraints. However, large wind estimation errors degrade TEMO performance.