Browsing by Author "Williams, Paul D."
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Item Open Access The impacts of climate change on Greek airports(Springer, 2020-02-13) Gratton, Guy; Padhra, Anil; Rapsomanikis, Spyridon; Williams, Paul D.Time series of meteorological parameters at ten Greek airports since 1955 indicated the level of climate change in the Eastern Mediterranean area. Using this data, take-off performance was analysed for the DHC-8-400—a typical short range turboprop airliner, and the A320, a typical medium scale turbofan airliner. For airports with longer runways, a steady but unimportant increase in take-off distances was found. For airports with shorter runways, the results indicate a steady reduction in available payload. At the most extreme case, results show that for an Airbus A320, operating from the, relatively short, 1511m runway at Chios Airport, the required reduction in payload would be equivalent to 38 passengers with their luggage, or fuel for 700 nautical miles (1300 km) per flight, for the period between the A320’s entry to service in 1988 and 2017. These results indicate that for airports where aeroplane maximum take-off mass is a performance limited function of runway length, and where minimum temperatures have increased and/or mean headwind components decreased, climate change has already had a marked impact on the economic activity in the airline industry. Similar analyses could be usefully carried out for other runway-length–limited airports, which may often include island airports. It is also noted that previous research has only considered temperature effects, and not wind effects. Wind effects in this study are less significant than temperature, but nonetheless have an effect on both field performance noise and pollution nuisance around airports.Item Open Access Modelling the effect of electric aircraft on airport operations and infrastructure(Elsevier, 2022-02-09) Doctor, Faiyaz; Budd, Thomas; Williams, Paul D.; Prescott, Matt; Iqbal, RahatElectric aircraft offer the potential for emissions savings towards decarbonising air transport and reducing its contribution to climate change. However, the characteristics of these novel technologies pose questions about how they can be integrated with existing airport infrastructure. Key considerations relate to the time needed to recharge electric aircraft whilst on the ground without adversely affecting operational capacities, and the requirement for airport operators to install electric charging capabilities. The paper applies queuing theory and simulation modelling techniques to help identify potential battery charging regimes for electric aircraft based on potential forecasts of the future electric aircraft fleet. An initial prototype discrete event simulation model was developed to simulate impacts of short-haul electric aircraft on airport capacity to help determine future infrastructural requirements. Computational optimisation techniques were used to determine optimal configurations of single purpose and converted dual purpose aircraft parking stands under different scenarios and charging regimes. The model demonstrated that a future increase in electric aircraft equating to 25% of the global aircraft fleet required the conversion of only 13% of existing parking stands, while maintaining airside capacity and operational efficiency. The findings have important implications for air transport planners and decision makers in the transition to zero emissions and flight.Item Open Access Reviewing the impacts of climate change on air transport operations(Cambridge University Press, 2021-12-02) Gratton, Guy; Williams, Paul D.; Padhra, Anil; Rapsomanikis, S.Climate change is increasing global-mean tropospheric temperatures, but the localised trends are uneven, including cooling the lower stratosphere and lifting the tropopause. The wind speeds are also being modified, both at the surface and aloft. A further effect, additional to wind and temperature alone, is of increasing fluctuations and severity of extreme weather. These are impacting air transport, and this will continue. The effects are known to include increased take-off distances where excess runway lengths exist and reduced payloads where they do not, increased en-route flight times, increased frequency and severity of encounters with clear air turbulence in some regions, changed patterns of wildlife — particularly bird — activity in some regions (potentially also for other anthropogenic reasons) are shifting locations of flight safety hazards, and increased burdens upon airport and associated infrastructure. There is increasing understanding and acknowledgment by companies and authorities of these effects and the importance of mitigating them, although this is not universal and there are as yet no universally understood best practices for air transport climate change mitigation.