Is ATC key to cutting emissions?
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Is ATC key to cutting emissions?
Comments? Are they missing something here?
SMITH SCHOOL OF ENTERPRISE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Media release
Embargoed until 00:01 hours GMT, Monday February 1, 2010
Air traffic control is key to cutting aviation emissions
The quickest way of cutting aviation emissions is to improve air traffic control, a study has found.
Biofuels could reduce pollution and better technology boost efficiency but neither will have the global impact that improved flight management could achieve, Oxford’sSmith School of Enterprise and the Environment says.
“If you reduced the time aircraft spent waiting to land and taxi, allowed planes to use more direct flight paths and approach routes, and introduced a common air traffic control system, you could cut emissions from aviation by a significant amount,” Dr Chris Carey, the Smith School’s aviation expert believes.
“The inaccuracy of current control systems means planes must be given a wide berth to avoid collisions.
“If that was improved, landing and take offs could be quicker, stacking would be reduced and planes could fly closer together by taking advantage of prevailing winds, just as Concorde did.”
The Smith School study says a range of measures including better air traffic control could cut aviation emissions by up to 95 per cent in the long term.
Reducing drag will play a large part, but the lifetime of aircraft means it will be decades before planes with relocated engines, for example, are operating.
“You could also improve efficiency by smoothing aircraft surfaces, much like racing cyclists shave their legs,” Dr Carey said.
“But none of those measures can be introduced quickly and most new technology is not retrofitable. These are all long-term innovations that we won’t see for at least 30 years.”
Test flights with biofuels, notably a Virgin Atlantic flight in 2008, have taken place but the report warns that biofuels are controversial because farmland or carbon-storing forests have been sacrificed to grow fuel crops such as palm oil.
Algae have more potential because cultivation does not use arable land but while fuel production from algae works well in the lab, the yield outside is reduced because of contamination by other algae and dirt.
Similarly, the potential of synthetic fuels, made from coal for example, will be of “minimal” benefit because “the process is heavily carbon intensive,” the Smith School report says.
And safety concerns largely rule out nuclear. “As the issue of ground-based nuclear power for electricity generation faces considerable opposition in the public sphere, one can only postulate on the level of opposition to nuclear powered aircraft...Nuclear power in aviation is unlikely in the foreseeable future.”
Aviation uses 13 per cent of transport fuel worldwide and is responsible for between 2% and 3% of global CO2 emissions. The IPCC says this figure will rise to between 5% and 15% per cent in 2050 or even higher if other sectors cut their emissions.
Furthermore, aircraft do 2-4 times more damage than those figures suggest because of the effect of altitude.
“The most obvious target for improving efficiency in aviation is engines, the source of emissions,” Dr Carey says. “But major technological innovations are a massive financial risk because you could be making a plane that no-one’s going to buy.
“On the other hand, improving airport access and flight management would work much sooner because fleet lifetime wouldn’t be a problem.
“These are the low-hanging fruit compared to technology improvements and existing biofuels, and are measures that governments could make a condition of using their airspace.
“They should be implemented as soon as possible if we are serious about cutting aviation emissions.”
Ends
SMITH SCHOOL OF ENTERPRISE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Media release
Embargoed until 00:01 hours GMT, Monday February 1, 2010
Air traffic control is key to cutting aviation emissions
The quickest way of cutting aviation emissions is to improve air traffic control, a study has found.
Biofuels could reduce pollution and better technology boost efficiency but neither will have the global impact that improved flight management could achieve, Oxford’sSmith School of Enterprise and the Environment says.
“If you reduced the time aircraft spent waiting to land and taxi, allowed planes to use more direct flight paths and approach routes, and introduced a common air traffic control system, you could cut emissions from aviation by a significant amount,” Dr Chris Carey, the Smith School’s aviation expert believes.
“The inaccuracy of current control systems means planes must be given a wide berth to avoid collisions.
“If that was improved, landing and take offs could be quicker, stacking would be reduced and planes could fly closer together by taking advantage of prevailing winds, just as Concorde did.”
The Smith School study says a range of measures including better air traffic control could cut aviation emissions by up to 95 per cent in the long term.
Reducing drag will play a large part, but the lifetime of aircraft means it will be decades before planes with relocated engines, for example, are operating.
“You could also improve efficiency by smoothing aircraft surfaces, much like racing cyclists shave their legs,” Dr Carey said.
“But none of those measures can be introduced quickly and most new technology is not retrofitable. These are all long-term innovations that we won’t see for at least 30 years.”
Test flights with biofuels, notably a Virgin Atlantic flight in 2008, have taken place but the report warns that biofuels are controversial because farmland or carbon-storing forests have been sacrificed to grow fuel crops such as palm oil.
Algae have more potential because cultivation does not use arable land but while fuel production from algae works well in the lab, the yield outside is reduced because of contamination by other algae and dirt.
Similarly, the potential of synthetic fuels, made from coal for example, will be of “minimal” benefit because “the process is heavily carbon intensive,” the Smith School report says.
And safety concerns largely rule out nuclear. “As the issue of ground-based nuclear power for electricity generation faces considerable opposition in the public sphere, one can only postulate on the level of opposition to nuclear powered aircraft...Nuclear power in aviation is unlikely in the foreseeable future.”
Aviation uses 13 per cent of transport fuel worldwide and is responsible for between 2% and 3% of global CO2 emissions. The IPCC says this figure will rise to between 5% and 15% per cent in 2050 or even higher if other sectors cut their emissions.
Furthermore, aircraft do 2-4 times more damage than those figures suggest because of the effect of altitude.
“The most obvious target for improving efficiency in aviation is engines, the source of emissions,” Dr Carey says. “But major technological innovations are a massive financial risk because you could be making a plane that no-one’s going to buy.
“On the other hand, improving airport access and flight management would work much sooner because fleet lifetime wouldn’t be a problem.
“These are the low-hanging fruit compared to technology improvements and existing biofuels, and are measures that governments could make a condition of using their airspace.
“They should be implemented as soon as possible if we are serious about cutting aviation emissions.”
Ends
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Call me cynical if you will, BUT.....
A 'doctor' who talks about "smoothing aircraft surfaces", and 'low-hanging fruit" on a professional ATC discussion forum strikes me as a bit of a nob.
"Aviation expert",....Yep, loads of those about!
P.S. Unless they are travelling in time, wouldn't people employed as 'doctors' be more useful curing the sick, lame and infirm?
P.P.S.... If in doubt, you could always "Ask Ian".
A 'doctor' who talks about "smoothing aircraft surfaces", and 'low-hanging fruit" on a professional ATC discussion forum strikes me as a bit of a nob.
"Aviation expert",....Yep, loads of those about!
P.S. Unless they are travelling in time, wouldn't people employed as 'doctors' be more useful curing the sick, lame and infirm?
P.P.S.... If in doubt, you could always "Ask Ian".
Last edited by ZOOKER; 5th Feb 2010 at 20:44.
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“The inaccuracy of current control systems means planes must be given a wide berth to avoid collisions.
“If that was improved, landing and take offs could be quicker, stacking would be reduced and planes could fly closer together by taking advantage of prevailing winds, just as Concorde did.”
“If that was improved, landing and take offs could be quicker, stacking would be reduced and planes could fly closer together by taking advantage of prevailing winds, just as Concorde did.”
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Com transfer, thanks for posting this.
I've just had another large glass of Chardonnay and read it again.
It's hillarious!!
"a study has found". - A study of what, by whom??
We live in an interglacial period. Enjoy!
I've just had another large glass of Chardonnay and read it again.
It's hillarious!!
"a study has found". - A study of what, by whom??
We live in an interglacial period. Enjoy!
“You could also improve efficiency by smoothing aircraft surfaces, much like racing cyclists shave their legs,” Dr Carey said.
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Forgive a SLF laywoman joining in. The Smith School's website has a more extensive message here. It seems to go into a bit more detail about things.
There's a snazzy pdf of the study's report if anyone's feeling that adventurous.
As for the Smith School itself, its about page suggests that it's not really aviation-based or -focused. So even though they likely (we'd like to hope) had some experts in this field in, it might not have been their top priority.
There's a snazzy pdf of the study's report if anyone's feeling that adventurous.
As for the Smith School itself, its about page suggests that it's not really aviation-based or -focused. So even though they likely (we'd like to hope) had some experts in this field in, it might not have been their top priority.
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<<“If that was improved, landing and take offs could be quicker, >>
Plainly written by someone with no aviation knowledge. It doesn't matter how close together they fly in the air, they need the same space to land and take-off!
Plainly written by someone with no aviation knowledge. It doesn't matter how close together they fly in the air, they need the same space to land and take-off!
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From the website
He may know dick all about air traffic, but boy does he know lasers.
Who doesn't love lasers.
Edit
Whys pprune replacing the a in lasers with an @?
Chris holds a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering, a master's in Engineering Applications of Lasers, and a PhD in Laser Forming of Fibre Metal Laminates, all from the University of Liverpool. He is currently investigating recent advancements in technology and its possible application in reducing the impact of aviation on the environment. Of particular interest is the application of novel materials and manufacturing processes to aerospace situations.
Who doesn't love lasers.
Edit
Whys pprune replacing the a in lasers with an @?
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Let planes fly closer together!
duh!
Let them get direct routings! to create more bottlenecks!
It seems to me despite all his education he can't find a way to make a plane more efficient so he's having a crack at us. Blaming inefficient ATC for emissions.
****!
Does he not realise that safety comes above efficiency on our agenda?
Thorisgod
duh!Let them get direct routings!
to create more bottlenecks!It seems to me despite all his education he can't find a way to make a plane more efficient so he's having a crack at us. Blaming inefficient ATC for emissions.
****!
Does he not realise that safety comes above efficiency on our agenda?
Thorisgod
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Dr. Carey,
The solution's simple you get Mr. Boeing and Mr. Airbus to make planes that don't generate wake vortex and then we can get them ever so close together. Problem solved.
Mind you we'd probably need someone with an Aerospace Engineering degree to solve that one. Oh dear, they all seem to be engaged in blaming air traffic controllers instead of doing what they are supposed to be qualified to do.
When you can do your job, Dr. Carey, you will find that you have solved the problem all on your own without the need to blame others.
On the beach
The solution's simple you get Mr. Boeing and Mr. Airbus to make planes that don't generate wake vortex and then we can get them ever so close together. Problem solved.
Mind you we'd probably need someone with an Aerospace Engineering degree to solve that one. Oh dear, they all seem to be engaged in blaming air traffic controllers instead of doing what they are supposed to be qualified to do.
When you can do your job, Dr. Carey, you will find that you have solved the problem all on your own without the need to blame others.
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Don't make fun of the doctor - he's got a damn good point about cyclists shaving their legs. The government should force all Tiger Moth pilots to shave off their moustaches and stop wearing snazzy scarves that flutter in the wind. That will save alot of drag and cut down CO2 emissions. Gordon saves the planet. Hooray!
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Just listened to the above link.*
We live in an interglacial period. Therefore, climate change is to be expected..... Enjoy!
*I have heard more sense from Jim Carey!
.......SMOKIN'
We live in an interglacial period. Therefore, climate change is to be expected..... Enjoy!
*I have heard more sense from Jim Carey!
.......SMOKIN'
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[Zooker] "...................... *I have heard more sense from Jim Carey!"
Dodgy carbon footprint though .....he owns a Gulfstream V !!!
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Cyclists shaving legs has very little to do with reducing drag.
It's all about avoiding the nastiness of hairs infecting road rash after they inevitably fall off (again).
It's all about avoiding the nastiness of hairs infecting road rash after they inevitably fall off (again).
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Dr Carey,
Design a laminar wing that eliminates drag and everyone will benefit. You are clearly a Monday morning quarterback that know absolutely dick about ATC. Stick to what you know.........................
Design a laminar wing that eliminates drag and everyone will benefit. You are clearly a Monday morning quarterback that know absolutely dick about ATC. Stick to what you know.........................
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I agree this is media release is a terribly over-simplified look at improving emissions efficiencies at best.
I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how the system could be made more efficient? Continuous-descent profiles as well allowing aircraft to fly the most efficient routes to destination, better flow-management so that aircraft departures are scheduled around their alloted slot time, aircraft are slowed down further back to eliminate holds....
All of the above proposal are oft-quoted in research articles on the subject and this is what would happen in a perfect world - but if all this could be accomplished around the world in reality - well... I would be shocked.
It all sounds great on paper, but the people writing these papers don't seem to have a clue at what an interconnected and complex world ATC/ATM really is - especially when safety is the prime mover - not fuel bills (God help us if that ever changes).
Are all these proposals just wishful thinking or can we do better?
I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas on how the system could be made more efficient? Continuous-descent profiles as well allowing aircraft to fly the most efficient routes to destination, better flow-management so that aircraft departures are scheduled around their alloted slot time, aircraft are slowed down further back to eliminate holds....
All of the above proposal are oft-quoted in research articles on the subject and this is what would happen in a perfect world - but if all this could be accomplished around the world in reality - well... I would be shocked.
It all sounds great on paper, but the people writing these papers don't seem to have a clue at what an interconnected and complex world ATC/ATM really is - especially when safety is the prime mover - not fuel bills (God help us if that ever changes).
Are all these proposals just wishful thinking or can we do better?
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In these days of ultra long-haul flights a small variation in wind speed from what has been forecast can sometimes make a difference of an hour either way in the ETA of aircraft. This can be as a result of aircraft not being able to fly at their planned level, due traffic, for example. Whilst the CFMU flow system does provide a level of flow control it is more geared to preventing sector overloads by implementing en-route flow limits through individual sectors, as opposed to providing a smooth flow of arriving traffic at a destination airport.
However, the technology does exist to provide a modicum of flow control into destination airports. By using the FDPS and RDPS data already available, problem times for arrivals can be identified well in advance and allow tactical flow measures to be readied for a predicted over-demand for a runway. By this, I mean that if your equipment is predicting an arrival demand of, say, 40 aircraft in one hour but your landing rate can only cope with 30, then you have the first indication that measures have to be put in place to deal with this situation. The answer could be tactical flow control starting well before top of descent to the last resort of holding. But by using the FDPS and RDPS data that is already available you are at least able to staff the relevant sectors well in advance and it also provides an indication to the en-route centres of where problems e.g. holding are likely and may impinge on their own operations and staffing requirements.
As an example take a look at this site to see all the traffic into and out of London Heathrow:
AirNav Live
And if you think it looks a bit cluttered over Europe then scroll across the pond. This gives you all the flights to and from LHR and the current coverage shows about 8 hours flight time. That's probably about as far ahead as you need to see to identify if you are going to have a future problem. As an aside iIt's also a great way to see if your flight from Glasgow to Heathrow, for instance, is going to be delayed or you are not likely to get your planned level because the North Atlantic flow of traffic is further north than usual.
To go back to the thread title "Is ATC the key to cutting emissions?" the answer, I would suggest is not entirely. You first need the technology that identifies problems and then the ATC equipment that decides on the best flow solution to achieve the desired result. Believe me it is beyond the capabilities of a human with the current traffic levels. So we as ATC can help in the solution but we can't do it on our own.
On the beach
However, the technology does exist to provide a modicum of flow control into destination airports. By using the FDPS and RDPS data already available, problem times for arrivals can be identified well in advance and allow tactical flow measures to be readied for a predicted over-demand for a runway. By this, I mean that if your equipment is predicting an arrival demand of, say, 40 aircraft in one hour but your landing rate can only cope with 30, then you have the first indication that measures have to be put in place to deal with this situation. The answer could be tactical flow control starting well before top of descent to the last resort of holding. But by using the FDPS and RDPS data that is already available you are at least able to staff the relevant sectors well in advance and it also provides an indication to the en-route centres of where problems e.g. holding are likely and may impinge on their own operations and staffing requirements.
As an example take a look at this site to see all the traffic into and out of London Heathrow:
AirNav Live
And if you think it looks a bit cluttered over Europe then scroll across the pond. This gives you all the flights to and from LHR and the current coverage shows about 8 hours flight time. That's probably about as far ahead as you need to see to identify if you are going to have a future problem. As an aside iIt's also a great way to see if your flight from Glasgow to Heathrow, for instance, is going to be delayed or you are not likely to get your planned level because the North Atlantic flow of traffic is further north than usual.
To go back to the thread title "Is ATC the key to cutting emissions?" the answer, I would suggest is not entirely. You first need the technology that identifies problems and then the ATC equipment that decides on the best flow solution to achieve the desired result. Believe me it is beyond the capabilities of a human with the current traffic levels. So we as ATC can help in the solution but we can't do it on our own.
On the beach