Route planning in real time for short-range aircraft with a constant-volume-combustor-geared turbofan to minimize operating costs by particle swarm optimization

Abstract

In conventional aviation, flight route planning aims to guarantee security and reduce the operating costs of the different types of aircraft that are currently available. This paper presents and analyses the results obtained from planning a flight route in real time for short-range aircraft fitted with geared turbofans with a constant volumecombustor to reduce operating costs by optimizing the route in terms of less distance traveled. In the analysis, an off-line route obtained from a flight profile using the Preliminary Multidisciplinary Design Framework tool is compared with the same route that is run in real time using a route planner optimized with a particle swarm optimization algorithm. The average results indicate that the route proposed by the optimization algorithm reduces direct and indirect operating costs if compared to the alternative route (traditional approach according to flight plan). This is mainly due to the lower fuel consumption and maintenance costs when selecting an optimized route. In cases where direct and alternate routes are completely obstructed, the planner can find an optimized route based on the lower costs. In this way, the pilot and the flight controller on the ground can make the decision whether to risk the aircraft with passengers on a route with adverse weather conditions or to have an optimized and safe one. The use of this type of route optimizer leads to significant benefits with respect to aircraft environmental taxes for emissions and noise, and increases aviation safety. This finding indicates that the route planner is a suitable support option when the course of an aircraft must be changed to follow a different route than the suggested alternative.

Keywords

• heuristic goal
• particle swarm optimization
• commercial aviation
• innovative turbofan
• real-time planning