METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DETERMINING IMPROVED FLIGHT TRAJECTORY

Abstract

Disclosed is method for determining improved flight trajectory 208. The method comprises receiving one or more weather parameters to determine contrail forecast data; receiving one or more flight parameters associated with at least one aircraft 204 to determine flight data thereof; receiving flight schedule comprising at least one flight plan 206 of at least one aircraft; analyzing at least one flight plan to determine at least one navigational avoidance between at least two aircraft; determining contrail likelihood associated with at least one aircraft; altering one or more flight parameters to determine improved flight trajectory for at least one flight plan; sending at least one flight plan including improved flight trajectory to at least one aircraft; and validating improved flight trajectory using imagery data, when at least one aircraft flies according to at least one flight plan including improved flight trajectory. Disclosed also is system 200 for determining improved flight trajectory.

Claims

1. A method for determining an improved flight trajectory, the method comprising: receiving one or more weather parameters to determine a contrail forecast data; receiving one or more flight parameters associated with at least one aircraft to determine a flight data of the at least one aircraft; receiving a flight schedule comprising at least one flight plan of at least one aircraft, wherein the flight schedule pertains to a given period of time; analyzing the at least one flight plan to determine at least one navigational avoidance between at least two aircraft; determining, based on the contrail forecast data, the flight data and the at least one flight plan, a contrail likelihood associated with the at least one aircraft; altering, based on the at least one navigational avoidance and the contrail likelihood, the one or more flight parameters of the at least one aircraft to determine an improved flight trajectory for the at least one flight plan; sending the at least one flight plan including the improved flight trajectory to the at least one aircraft; and validating the improved flight trajectory using an imagery data, when the at least one aircraft flies according to the at least one flight plan including the improved flight trajectory.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: utilizing the validated improved flight trajectory to generate at least one climatology of an average contrail likelihood over at least one geographical region; and developing at least one environmentally-friendly flight route using the at least one climatology.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: determining carbon dioxide emissions for a given flight of a given aircraft, based on a flight plan of the given aircraft and a contrail likelihood associated with the given aircraft; and calculating a carbon dioxide equivalent for the given flight, based on the carbon dioxide emissions, wherein the step of altering one or more flight parameters associated with the given flight is performed in a manner that an improved flight trajectory for the flight plan of the given aircraft minimizes the carbon dioxide equivalent for the given flight.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the minimization of the contrail likelihood is associated with increase in a carbon offset value, and wherein the carbon offset value is associated with a fuel utilized for a given flight.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising assessing a fuel burn penalty or fuel savings achieved, based on the fuel utilized for the given flight.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of validating the improved flight trajectory using the imagery data comprises: capturing, using a first imaging device associated with an aircraft and/or a second imaging device associated with a distant observation system away from the aircraft, at least one contrail image, wherein the at least one contrail image represents actual contrail formation during a flight of the aircraft according to a flight plan having the improved flight trajectory; and comparing the at least one contrail image with the contrail forecast data to validate the improved flight trajectory of the aircraft for contrail formation at a given time instant.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising executing an electronic flight bag (EFB) software on an EFB device to support in-air tactical response.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising executing an air navigation service provider (ANSP) software for enabling at least one air navigation task to be performed.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising providing, on an interactive user interface of a display device, at least one of: the one or more weather parameters, the contrail forecast data, the one or more flight parameters, the flight data, the flight schedule, the contrail likelihood, the improved flight trajectory, the imagery data, a validated improved flight trajectory, at least one environmentally-friendly flight route, a carbon dioxide equivalent, a carbon offset value, a fuel burn penalty or fuel savings achieved.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more weather parameters is selected from: a temperature, a pressure, a water vapor and ice water content, vapor pressure of air and saturated vapor pressure, wind vectors, number of ice particles in the cloud and corresponding particle size, and incoming and outgoing radiation energy in the atmospheric column.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more flight parameters is selected from: a date and time of a flight, a destination, a trajectory, a flight altitude, an expected arrival at the destination, a speed, a latitude for flying the aircraft, a longitude for flying the aircraft, a heading, a payload, an operating characteristic of a particular aircraft type, and a fuel data.

12. A system for determining an improved flight trajectory, the system comprising a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: receive one or more weather parameters to determine a contrail forecast data; receive one or more flight parameters associated with at least one aircraft to determine a flight data of the at least one aircraft; receive a flight schedule comprising at least one flight plan of at least one aircraft, wherein the flight schedule pertains to a given period of time; analyze the at least one flight plan to determine at least one navigational avoidance between at least two aircraft; determine, based on the contrail forecast data, the flight data and the at least one flight plan, a contrail likelihood associated with the at least one aircraft; alter, based on the at least one navigational avoidance and the contrail likelihood, the one or more flight parameters of the at least one aircraft to determine an improved flight trajectory for the at least one flight plan; send the at least one flight plan including the improved flight trajectory to the at least one aircraft; and validate the improved flight trajectory using an imagery data, when the at least one aircraft flies according to the at least one flight plan including the improved flight trajectory.

13. A system according to claim 12, further comprising a first imaging device associated with an aircraft and/or a second imaging device associated with a distant observation system away from the aircraft, wherein the first imaging device and/or the second imaging device is/are configured to capture at least one contrail image, wherein the at least one contrail image represents actual contrail formation during a flight of the aircraft according to a flight plan having the improved flight trajectory, wherein the processor is configured to compare the at least one contrail image with the contrail forecast data to validate the improved flight trajectory of the aircraft for contrail formation at a given time instant.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the at least one contrail image is obtained from at least one of: an active remote sensing system, a passive remote sensing system, and an in-situ measurement system.

15. A computer program product for determining an improved flight trajectory, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine-readable data storage medium having stored thereon program instructions that, when accessed by a processor, cause the processor to execute steps of the method of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0096] One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0097] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method for determining an improved flight trajectory, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

[0098] FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of a system for determining an improved flight trajectory, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0099] Referring to FIG. 1, a flowchart is shown illustrating steps of a method for determining an improved flight trajectory, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. At a step 102, one or more weather parameters are received to determine a contrail forecast data. At a step 104, one or more flight parameters associated with at least one aircraft are received to determine a flight data of the at least one aircraft. At a step 106, a flight schedule comprising at least one flight plan of at least one aircraft is received, wherein the flight schedule pertains to a given period of time. At a step 108, the at least one flight plan is analyzed to determine at least one navigational avoidance between at least two aircraft. At a step 110, a contrail likelihood associated with the at least one aircraft is determined based on the contrail forecast data, the flight data and the at least one flight plan. At a step 112, the one or more flight parameters of the at least one aircraft are altered, based on the at least one navigational avoidance and the contrail likelihood, to determine an improved flight trajectory for the at least one flight plan. At a step 114, the at least one flight plan including the improved flight trajectory is sent to the at least one aircraft. At a step 116, the improved flight trajectory is validating using an imagery data, when the at least one aircraft flies according to the at least one flight plan including the improved flight trajectory.

[0100] The steps 102, 104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 114 and 116 are only illustrative and other alternatives can also be provided where one or more steps are added, one or more steps are removed, or one or more steps are provided in a different sequence without departing from the scope of the claims herein.

[0101] Referring to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a system 200 for determining an improved flight trajectory 208, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 200 comprises a processor. The processor of the system 200 is coupled to a weather monitoring system 202 and the aircraft 204. The processor is configured to: [0102] receive one or more weather parameters, from the weather monitoring system 202, to determine a contrail forecast data; [0103] receive one or more flight parameters associated with at least one aircraft 204 to determine a flight data of the at least one aircraft 204; [0104] receive a flight schedule comprising at least one flight plan 206 of at least one aircraft 204, wherein the flight schedule pertains to a given period of time; [0105] analyze the at least one flight plan to determine at least one navigational avoidance between at least two aircraft; [0106] determine, based on the contrail forecast data, the flight data and the at least one flight plan, a contrail likelihood associated with the at least one aircraft 204; [0107] alter, based on the at least one navigational avoidance and the contrail likelihood, the one or more flight parameters of the at least one aircraft to determine an improved flight trajectory 208 for the at least one flight plan 206; [0108] send the at least one flight plan including the improved flight trajectory 208 to the at least one aircraft 204; and [0109] validate the improved flight trajectory 208 using an imagery data, such as from a distant observation system 210 away from the aircraft 204, when the at least one aircraft 204 flies according to the at least one flight plan 206 including the improved flight trajectory 208.

[0110] The processor is communicably coupled to the distant observation system 210 via a communication network 212.