Planning the Flight Trajectory of a Passenger Aircraft with Regards to the Aspect of Pollutants Emission

Abstract

Abstract One of the ways to reduce the adverse impact of aircraft on the environment is through the determination of the trajectory of the flight on a given route that leads to reducing fuel consumption and, consequently, emission of pollutants in jet engines exhausts. Planning a flight in terms of minimizing emissions or fuel consumption is a complex task and difficult to implement due to the conditions in which the aircraft travels, but it is possible though. It is necessary to take into account the limitations resulting from the organization of the airspace and the rules therein, as well as the current weather conditions. The weather is one of the main factors determining the amount of fuel consumed, the time and cost of a particular flight on a given route. In addition to the main parameters, such as pressure and air density, it is extremely important to determine the air temperature, as well as the wind speed and direction. The temperature affects the speed of sound, based on which it is possible to determine the Mach number for a plane flying with a given true air speed (TAS). The speed and direction of wind, on the other hand, affect the speed of the aircraft relative to the ground (velocity over ground, VOG), and thus the duration of its flight. The article describes how the developed model of emission of pollutants in the exhausts of jet bypass engines can be useful for determining the trajectory of an aircraft in its cruise phase due to the criterion of pollutants emissions minimization. An exemplary analysis was carried out for selected aircraft moving along the route adopted for the research. The analysis covered various cruising altitudes and various meteorological conditions (wind speed and direction). The obtained results are illustrated graphically and discussed.