Fuel-Optimal Trajectory Generation for Persistent Contrail Mitigation

Abstract

A future air traffic management system capable of rerouting aircraft trajectories in real time in response to transient and evolving events would result in increased system efficiency, better use of the airspace, and decreased environmental impact. Persistent contrail formation is thought to be responsible for a significant portion of the environmental impact of aviation, and this impact is expected to grow over time. Therefore, it is important to explore a method to reduce the impact of persistent contrail formation. Mixed-integer linear programming is used within a receding horizon framework to form aircraft trajectories that mitigate persistent contrail formation while seeking a minimum fuel solution. A novel path-planning approach is presented, which uses a penalty approach within a receding horizon framework. In a single-flight scenario, 48% of persistent contrails are eliminated with a 0.5% increase in fuel consumption. This is compared to a 6.2% increase in fuel consumption for absolute contrail avoidance. An analysis of this route for 20 days of atmospheric data shows that 58% of persistent contrails can be avoided with a 0.48% increase in fuel consumption.