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Intelligent system helps pilots land quietly

#AI #airplane #co2 #co2 emissions #flying

Aircraft noise, especially during the landing approach of passenger jets, is a major burden on people and the environment. An international project with the participation of Empa enables pilots to land as quietly and with as little CO2 as possible.

Plane landing at night

The landing approach is demanding for the people in the cockpit. In addition to braking and aligning the aircraft, there are a wide variety of parameters to consider. Factors such as wind and the skill of the cockpit personnel also determine how well a landing approach meets all requirements. The "Dyncat" project developed under the leadership of the German Aerospace Center (DLR) aims at more uniform and environmentally friendly flight profiles.

"Dyncat" supports pilots in the efficient alignment of the aircraft and also in energy management, particularly during the approach. The system calculates the air resistance for braking the aircraft. Ideally, this leads to landing approaches without thrust increase, which consumes more fuel and generates more noise.

Decision remains with pilots

The newly developed system functions for optimising the approach give recommendations to those responsible in the cockpit. Whether they implement them remains at the discretion of the pilots. The recommendations include adjusting flaps and landing gear to reduce noise, fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

The Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research (Empa) is working on the cooperative project with the DLR site in Braunschweig (Germany), the French defence company Thales and the "Swiss Skylab Foundation" of the airline Swiss. The project is funded by the EU as part of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Written by: sda

Photos: Keystone

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plastic waste in a garbage bin

Microplastics could promote cancer

According to a new study, tiny plastic particles can be passed on during cell division. This could potentially favour the spread of cancer.
April 15th, 2024
a baby in a newborn ward

AI diagnoses heart defects in babies

An artificial intelligence (AI) developed by Zurich researchers recognises a specific heart defect in newborns. According to the researchers, it has the potential to reduce the number of missed diagnoses of pulmonary hypertension.
April 29th, 2024
the new robot can mimic the softness of materials

Robot reproduces the softness of materials

A new robot can precisely mimic the softness of various materials. In future, medical students could use it to practise detecting malignant tumours or researchers could feel the softness of an object in space.
May 6th, 2024
PEBE

Are CO2 absorbers the saviors of the climate crisis?

In the fight against climate change, gigatons of carbon dioxide will have to be removed from the atmosphere over the course of the century - using so-called carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies are giving people new hope.
June 12th, 2024
pedestrians at a zebra crossing

New car camera detects pedestrians 100 times faster

A new type of car camera recognises obstacles 100 times faster than previous driver assistance systems. In future, this technology should help to brake cars in good time if a pedestrian suddenly runs into the road.
August 5th, 2024
Pedestrians walk on planks across a flooded square in Switzerland.

Climate change causes global economy to shrink significantly

According to a new forecast, the global economy is at risk of shrinking by around a fifth by the middle of the century due to climate change.
August 19th, 2024