The Institute of Air Transportation Systems is pleased to congratulate Florian Linke for completing his doctoral thesis on the topic of “Environmental Analysis of Operational Air Transportation Concepts”.
The doctoral examination took place on 5th of February in the Integrated Design Laboratory. The doctoral thesis was reviewed by Prof. Volker Gollnick (Head of Air Transportation Systems) and Prof. Markus Rapp (Head of DLR-Institute of Atmospheric Physics).
The thesis addresses the development and application of an advanced method for the environmental analysis of operational air transportation concepts. The approach focusses on modelling the implications of changes in flight operations on global emission distribution and climate taking real operational constraints into account. The methodology includes a modelling system consisting of a trajectory calculator, flight planning models, methods for preparation and use of atmospheric data and tools for quantifying environmental effects and creating emission inventories.
To reduce complexity, a method is used that allows for the determination of characteristic air distances for longer periods for arbitrary flight connections based on statistical wind distributions. The application of advanced flight performance models leads to a more accurate representation of vertical emission profiles.
The methodology is demonstrated by analyzing the operational concept "Intermediate Stop Operations" that is based on the idea of conducting stopovers to increase the fuel efficiency on long-haul flights. For the first time, the system-wide short-term potential achievable with today's aircraft as well as the environmental implications of the concept are quantified taking real operational conditions, like e.g. wind, into account.
Florian Linke has been working for the institute since 2008 and heads the department Air Transport Operations and Infrastructures.