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attitudetravel
Joined: 15 Nov 2007
Posts: 248
Location: London, UK
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 Posted: Sun Jan 20, 2008 3:20 pm Post subject: SAS adopts "Advanced CDA" on Transatlantic Flights |
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On 8th December, 2007, Scandinavian carrier SAS trialled its emission-saving Advanced Continuous Descent Approach for the first time on an incoming transatlantic flight.
| Quote: | SAS has already carried out over 2000 A-CDAs (Advanced Continuous Descent Approach) on flights in Sweden with a Boeing 737 and is the only commercial airline worldwide to have invested in the environmentally conscious program and tested it during a number of years. A trans-Atlantic green approach with an Airbus A330 is estimated to save initially approximately 150 kilos of aircraft fuel and 470 kilos of carbon dioxide (CO2).
"The approach carried out at Arlanda today was in fact very easy for us pilots. The engines were running at idle power from our cruise altitude, until the final stage of the approach. The aircraft's Flight Management System was automatically flying the whole approach routing and the passengers conceived the approach as nothing but smooth and quiet," says Sigmund Lockert, Airbus 340/330 Fleet Chief Pilot, Scandinavian Airlines, who was also First Officer on today's flight.
[...]
Scandinavian Airlines will continue to test green approaches on trans-Atlantic flights from Chicago and New York to Stockholm arriving on off-peak slots. At present, this means flights arriving from the US on weekends. In a future optimized Air Traffic Management system, and assuming SAS International would conduct CDAs on all its approaches, an estimated 492 tons of fuel and 1,550 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) would be saved per year.
SAS has demonstrated over 2,000 green approaches with a Boeing 737, with each landing saving approximately 150 kilos of fuel and 470 kilos of carbon dioxide (CO2). When launched, savings totaled approximately 100 kilos of fuel and 315 kilos of carbon dioxide per green approach. |
Source: Scandinavian Airlines first in Europe to commence trans-Atlantic green flights
So basically, the "advanced" part is that they switch the engine off?
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Alan Lansdowne
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Konangrit
Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2008 7:27 am Post subject: |
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This method also has the additional benefit of significant noise reductions on landing, not too mention significant financial savings too.
Some more on "A-CDA" here:
| Quote: | The “Advanced Continuous Descent Approach” (A-CDA), also known as the “Green Approach” is allowing Boeing 737s in Europe to use a new landing approach that reduces fuel consumption, which in turn reduces the amount of CO2 and NOx emission by approximately 20%.
The Green Approach is the result of GE Aviation’s Systems participation in Europe’s NUP2+ project, in which select 737 aircraft in Sweden were allowed to employ GE’s Flight Management System (FMS) to fly the aircraft at idle thrust from cruise through landing. The FMS’ reliable performance and predictability gave Air Traffic Management authorities the confidence they needed to approve the new approach in Europe for 737s equipped with GE’s FMS.
“Our FMS on Boeing 737s is another example of how committed we are to developing technology solutions that not only benefit customers, but are also kind to the environment,” said Dr. John Ferrie, President, Systems for GE Aviation. “Given the issues we face with growing air traffic congestion and increasing green house gases worldwide, the appropriate use of FMS to help remedy the situation is a clear and valuable option.”
The FMS for the 737 features a precise, 4-dimensional trajectory downlink for use by ATC to manage traffic flow using precision positioning and time guidance, known as Required Time of Arrival (RTA), to the runway threshold. Combined, these features enable the creation of flight profiles that are optimal for operators as well as the environment – increasing ATM efficiency, providing fuel savings, and dramatically reducing greenhouse gas and noise emissions. Sounds good to me.
The Green Approach is a standard feature of Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) operations into Stockholm, where, in more than 1,300 Green Approaches, SAS has recorded an average fuel savings of 186 kg, a CO2 reduction of 315 kg, and an NOx reduction of 0.011 kg per arrival. SAS estimates that annual benefits for their flights could reach $6 million in fuel savings with an additional $6 million in cost avoidance due to the increased efficiency and punctuality of aircraft using GE’s FMS. SAS expects the Green Approach to achieve annual emission reductions of up to 23,000 Metric Tons of CO2 and 79 Metric Tons of NOx; comparable to the yearly emissions of 5,100 automobiles.
Green approaches also deliver measurable noise reduction for the surrounding communities. As a result, SAS and the Swedish government have agreed to expand the Green Approaches to the other busier airports in Sweden, and plans are being discussed with more airlines and ATM authorities to allow its use during city-pair operations between Stockholm and aerodromes within core-Europe. |
Link
| Quote: | | So basically, the "advanced" part is that they switch the engine off? |
Sounds like that, although I don't think they're technically "off". Here's the "un-advanced" version:
| Quote: | Continuous Descent Approach
Continuous Descent Approach is an aircraft approach method designed to reduce fuel burn and noise. This involves maintaining a constant 3 degree angle during descent, until meeting the Instrument Landing System. National Air Traffic Services air traffic control in the United Kingdom will always give a distance to run to pilots, at major UK airports. With this figure and the aircraft's altitude, pilots can calculate their rate of descent and perform a Continuous Descent Approach. The UK, and London Heathrow Airport in particular, are the world's leaders in Continuous Descent Approach |
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Increasing fuel efficiency seems to be the main area of research for aerospace manufacturers nowadays. I think the major factor is high fuel prices rather than environmental concerns, despite what the PR says, but it clearly has the benefit of helping the environment too. |
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Konangrit
Joined: 27 Nov 2007
Posts: 62
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| Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 7:10 am Post subject: |
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Here's another method for increasing fuel efficiency "CRISTAL ITP" (the 'ITP' standing for 'In-Trail Procedure'). Which was also tested by SAS on a transatlantic flight. The article suggests it should be in transatlantic operation by 2010.
Transatlantic Flights Becoming Greener by 2010
| Quote: | Airbus fuel-burn data suggest CRISTAL ITP would produce a 170-kilogram average fuel saving on a transatlantic flight for an aircraft the size of an A340-600. For aircraft now constrained by ATC requirements to fly 2,000 feet below their optimal cruise altitudes, the saving could reach 760 kilograms, said Marche and Fixy. And the larger the aircraft, the larger the saving — A380s or 747s would save more fuel than A340s.
On average some 400 commercial jets fly westbound over the North Atlantic every day and some 300 fly eastbound, according to Airbus; at these traffic rates, CRISTAL ITP could produce a total fuel saving of some 120,000 kilograms a day.
Even though the FAA isn't mandating ADS-B for all U.S. airspace until 2020, transatlantic flights will start seeing flight-efficiency benefits from its use much sooner than that. ADS-B is being introduced in remote, less densely trafficked airspace first. It is already in use for half of Australia's airspace, and is being introduced over Hudson Bay in November. |
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