Energy-optimal guidance of a battery-electrically driven airplane

Abstract

This study introduces an approach to decrease the electric energy consumption by efficient guidance of a battery-electrically propulsed airplane. An appropriate mathematical model containing a detailed energy consumption estimation is presented. With this, an optimal control problem is formulated and solved using the Matlab Toolbox FALCON.m. Furthermore, steady state efficiency criteria are established for a range optimal climb and a horizontal flight. With the help of steady state grid calculation, values for both efficiency criteria and corresponding guidance parameters are determined. The optimal values of both criteria are correlated with the steady state arcs of the optimal trajectory. For the descend segment, an optimal airspeed is determined and correlated also with the trajectory. As a result, energy optimal steady state guidance parameters can be provided to the pilot for each flight segment. A concept of a cockpit display is introduced that delivers efficient guidance parameters to the pilot.