Session: 01-01 Conceptual Design and Optimization I

Paper Number: 103644

103644 - Impact of Engine Degradation on Contrail Formation of Long Rage Aircraft Trajectories. 

Two of the ways in which air travel affects climate are the emission of carbon dioxide from fuel burn and the creation of high-altitude contrails. One possible impact reduction strategy is to significantly reduce the formation of contrails and trajectory optimization is one of the readily available solutions. However most of the trajectory optimization studies were performed without considering the engine degradation.  This work provides a novel approach to aircraft trajectory optimization problem by including engine degradation and real aircraft trajectories within the optimization framework. The impact of engine degradation on optimum aircraft trajectories were assessed by quantifying the difference in fuel burn and contrail formation, when an aircraft is flying on a trajectory which has been optimized using the clean (non-degraded) engines and when the aircraft is flying on a trajectory specifically optimized using the degraded engines. For the purpose of this study, models of a clean engine and three degraded engines have been developed based on the deterioration of several engine performance parameters. Aircraft performance model has been developed for a long rage aircraft with the capability of generating the vertical and horizonal flight profiles provided by the airlines. A contrail prediction model was developed to assess the contrail formation for the considered flight missions. In addition, a multi-objective optimization framework was developed using a GA based optimizer to generate and analyse long-range optimum trajectories. Multi-objective optimization was performed under three cases: Case (1) - Fuel burn vs contrails with clean engines, Case (2) – Fuel burn vs Contrails with low level degraded engines and Case (3) – Fuel burn vs Contrails with highly degraded engines. Finally, optimum trajectories generated with degraded engines were compared with the trajectories generated with clean (non-degraded) engines. The results have shown impact of engine degradation on optimum aircraft are significant, and in order to reduce fuel burn and contrail formation, aircraft need to fly on an optimum trajectory specifically customized for the degraded performance of the engines.  

Presenting Author: Rukshan Navaratne Cardiff University

Presenting Author Biography: Rukshan obtained his PhD in Aerospace Engineering at Cranfield University and currently working as a Reader and Leading the Aerospace Propulsion Research at Cardiff University. Before joining academia, he has spent much of his career working as an Engineer, Project Manager and Senior Executive in aerospace industry. His current research focuses on the development of novel electric propulsion systems, electrical machine modelling, and design optimisation of advanced novel propulsion systems. Rukshan use variety of numerical and experimental tools and techniques to develop propulsion technologies from initial conception through increasing levels of technology readiness with a constant view towards commercialization and real-world use. Also, he is a consultant to several local and international organisations. Rukshan is a Chartered Engineer and Member of IMechE (UK), ASME, and AIAA.

Authors:

Rukshan Navaratne Cardiff University
Panagiotis Laskaridis Cranfield University