Methodology for Vertical-Navigation Flight-Trajectory Cost Calculation Using a Performance Database

Trajectory optimization has been identified as an important way to reduce flight costs and polluting emissions. Due to the power capacity limitations in airborne devices such as the flight management system, a fast method should be implemented to calculate the full trajectory cost. Many flight management systems use a set of lookup tables with experimental data for each flight phase, and they are called performance databases. In this paper, the trajectory flight cost is calculated using a performance database instead of using classical equations of motion. The trajectory to be calculated is composed of climb, acceleration, cruise, descent, and deceleration. The influence of the crossover altitude during climb and descent, as well as step climbs in cruise, was considered. Lagrange linear interpolations were performed within the performance database discrete values to calculate the required values. By providing a takeoff weight, the initial and final coordinates, and the desired flight plan, the trajectory ...