New tool to cut waiting time at airports

Toronto, May 7
Wary of long waits at the airports before you can board your flight? That may change very soon, thanks to a new study in aerodynamics.

Actually, most of the delays occur due to spacing-out the two flights. A new mathematical tool developed by Professor Georgios Vatistas, from the Concordia University, can help significantly reduce the spacing-out time.

The tool calculates the flow of turbulent air produced by a plane's wing tips -- known scientifically as wing-tip vortices -- when an airplane takes off.

"Every aircraft leaves in its wake a turbulent flow of air that can be dangerous to the airplane immediately behind it. That's why there are often large separation distances between planes as they line up for takeoff. It's a major cause of delays on the runway," Vatistas explained.

The study will assist in improving the present standards for the separation distance between planes, while maintaining safety.

Mathematically calculating the amount of turbulence created by the wing tips of aircraft, particularly during takeoff, gives air traffic controllers a better method of determining how far each aircraft should be from the next.

"This research will place the required separation distance on a better ground, particularly for the huge Airbus 380," Vatistas said.

"Our model takes the airplane's specifications into account to develop a more precise picture of exactly how strong the wing tip vortices are. From that, you can accurately calculate how far away the following aircraft needs to be for safety," he added.

Extending the "Vatistas Vortex Model" to account for turbulence, the research team carefully recreated the swirling vortices of air produced by the wing tips of aircraft during takeoff.

This turbulent air is particularly dangerous when it comes to the wake created by heavy, wide-body aircrafts.

"To make takeoff procedures more efficient, we need to establish strict separation standards for new aircraft like the super-heavy Airbus 380. At the same time, we need to develop more precise standards for smaller aircraft," Vatistas said.

The study is forthcoming in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Journal of Aircraft.