Angela R. Schmitt

Bio: Angela R. Schmitt is an academic researcher from German Aerospace Center. The author has contributed to research in topics: Air traffic control & Air traffic management. The author has an hindex of 7, co-authored 15 publications receiving 142 citations.

Balancing Controller Workload within a Sectorless ATM Concept

Abstract: Balancing controller workload is part of the air traffic management (ATM). It is the current practice to organize airspace and balance its demand and capacity by partitioning airspace into sectors. This approach is naturally limited by the minimum size of sectors and the amount of possible controller coordination. The approach considered in this thesis is examined in the joint project called “Airspace Management 2020” (LRM2020) by DFS (Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH) and DLR (Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.). The aim is to provide a sectorless airspace. For this concept, the possibilities for the assignment of aircraft to air traffic controllers are examined. Different assignment strategies have been developed and selections of these are tested with various traffic scenarios on their capacitive properties.

Change of controller tasks in a sectorless ATM concept - first results

Abstract: In a sectorless air traffic management concept the airspace is not divided into sectors but seen as one piece. An air traffic controller is no longer in charge of a sector but is responsible for individual flights which he or she controls from the entry into the airspace to the exit. This means that the controller has to keep track of several flights and traffic situations which might not be in the same geographic region. Of course, such a considerable change of concept influences the tasks and way of working for the controller.

Rapid Prototyping for ATM operational concepts development

Abstract: Technical systems tend to undergo changes and thus will sooner or later require adjustments to new requirements or conditions. Currently, major changes in Air Traffic Management (ATM) are on the way, as ATM modernizations programmes like SESAR or NextGEN are getting momentum. ATM systems are rather complex and pose high demands on safety. Besides safety, other performance parameters like efficiency or environmental and climate impact have to be taken into account. Here, simulations can help to evaluate advantages of new developments or ideas, without jeopardizing the safety of others. The DLR’s Institute of Flight Guidance operate an Air Traffic Simulation software called TrafficSim, which in detail is capable to simulate realistic aircraft movements and handle scenarios with high traffic. Core of this software is a generic Flight Management System (FMS) which was developed at the DLR within the project PHARE (Programme for Harmonised ATM Research in EUROCONTROL). The purpose of this FMS is to create a 4D trajectory for each aircraft in the scenario. Data link communication could be used to negotiate trajectories with the ground part of simulation. The TrafficSim is in continuous development and generates configurable as well as realistic 4D trajectories, or even entire traffic scenarios (e.g. Europe-wide) for various research projects. Since the FMS is capable of most modern FMS-functions like full 4D, self separation, interval management and low Required Navigation Performance (RNP), all aircraft of a scenario can be individually equipped with a subset of modern airborne capabilities. This paper describes the steps to generate a 4D trajectory based scenario and shows the scope of the TrafficSim and how projects benefit from this simulation.

Wind optimized routing: An opportunity to improve european flight efficiency?

Abstract: Improving flight efficiency in terms of fuel efficiency and travel time reduction is of great interest for the aviation industry. An increase in efficiency is assumed to lower not only airline costs but also the environmental impact of aviation [1]. Among other strategies, improved route planning provides an opportunity to reduce fuel burn and travel time. In this context efforts should not be limited to finding routes that reduce the distance travelled, but attempts should be made to find routes that take weather effects into account. This study investigates whether following wind optimal routes has a positive impact on fuel consumption and travel time of inner-European flights. In order to evaluate the savings potential, fuel consumptions achieved from wind and distance optimized trajectories are compared. Moreover, it is discussed what wind conditions justify deviations from great circle routes. The paper provides an analysis of potential fuel savings achieved through the use of wind optimized routes for inner-European flights. The optimization process is carried out with respect to the provided wind direction and wind speed. For this purpose, DLR's trajectory optimization tool was improved to take weather information into account and to calculate wind optimized routes. The corresponding calculations are performed for one specific traffic scenario under different weather conditions.

On the Radiative Forcing by Contrails

Abstract: A parametric study of the instantaneous radiative impact of contrails is presented using three different radiative transfer models for a series of model atmospheres and cloud parameters. Contrails are treated as geometrically and optically thin plane parallel homogeneous cirrus layers in a static atmosphere. The ice water content is varied as a function of ambient temperature. The model atmospheres include tropical, mid-latitude, and subarctic summer and winter atmospheres. Optically thin contrails cause a positive net forcing at top of the atmosphere. At the surface the radiative forcing is negative during daytime. The forcing increases with the optical depth and the amount of contrail cover. At the top of the atmosphere, a mean contrail cover of 0.1% with average optical depth of 0.2 to 0.5 causes about 0.01 to 0.03 Wm−2 daily mean instantaneous radiative forcing. Contrails cool the surface during the day and heat the surface during the night, and hence reduce the daily temperature amplitude. The net effect depends strongly on the daily variation of contrail cloud cover. The indirect radiative forcing due to particle changes in natural cirrus clouds may be of the same magnitude as the direct one due to additional cover.

Evaluating the climate impact of aviation emission scenarios towards the Paris agreement including COVID-19 effects.

Abstract: Aviation is an important contributor to the global economy, satisfying society’s mobility needs. It contributes to climate change through CO2 and non-CO2 effects, including contrail-cirrus and ozone formation. There is currently significant interest in policies, regulations and research aiming to reduce aviation’s climate impact. Here we model the effect of these measures on global warming and perform a bottom-up analysis of potential technical improvements, challenging the assumptions of the targets for the sector with a number of scenarios up to 2100. We show that although the emissions targets for aviation are in line with the overall goals of the Paris Agreement, there is a high likelihood that the climate impact of aviation will not meet these goals. Our assessment includes feasible technological advancements and the availability of sustainable aviation fuels. This conclusion is robust for several COVID-19 recovery scenarios, including changes in travel behaviour.