The continuous-descent approach is among the key concepts of the Next Generation Air Transportation System. Although a considerable number of researchers have been devoted to the estimation of potential fuel savings of the continuous-descent approach, few have attempted to explain the fuel savings observed in field tests from an analytical point of view. This paper focuses on the evaluation of the continuous-descent approach as a fuel-reduction procedure. This research gives insights into the reasons why the continuous-descent approach saves fuel, and design guidelines for the continuous-descent-approach procedures are derived. The analytical relationship between speed, altitude, and fuel burn is derived based on the base of aircraft data total-energy model. A theoretical analysis implies that speed profile has an impact as substantial as, if not more than, vertical profile on the fuel consumption in the terminal area. In addition, the continuous-descent approach is not intrinsically a fuel-saving procedure: whether the continuous-descent approach saves fuel or not is contingent upon whether the speed schedule is properly designed or not. Based on this model, the potential fuel savings due to the continuous-descent approach at the San Francisco International Airport are estimated, and the accuracy of this estimation is analyzed.
Investigation of Potential Fuel Savings Due to Continuous-Descent Approach
Journal of Aircraft ; 50 , 3 ; 807-816
2013-02-20
10 pages
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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