Tutorial
8. Airports Tomorrow
In the future, designing new airports or re-designing existing airports
will be a challenge. Not only will there be increased concern for efficient
intermodality (getting passengers into, through and out of the airport by an
integrated use of transportation systems), a new look in terminal configurations
might be part of a future design. Use of underground, intra-airport transportation
systems like those found in Denver and Atlanta will probably increase. Airport
design of the future will be greatly influenced by new aircraft, new land-based
and air-based monitoring systems, land availability as well as growth and shifts
in population density.
Aviation
futurists predict that both larger jetliners and VTOL (Vertical Take Off and Landing) aircraft will fly us to our
future destinations. Large jetliners with the passenger capacity of over 600 will require a tremendous amount of
thrust and lift forces. This will result in larger engines per jetliner or an increased number of engines per jetliner,
and a longer wingspan. What effect will this have on runways? Runways will need to be longer as these future jetliners
will need greater starting and stopping distances. Ground controllers will also need to allow for wider passing
zones between airplanes moving along the ground. Taxiways may have to be widened. Increased usage of VTOL aircraft
as well as VTOL aircraft with passenger loads between 30 and 60 will create a whole new look at your local airport.
VTOL aircraft do not require runways, merely an unobstructed path to a circular pad. Current airports might add
an entirely new terminal to accommodate these aircraft or communities might develop VTOL only airports for the
"short-hoppers" that is, flights less than 1,000 miles in distance.
As NASA continues its research and development of new aviation tools for ground-based operations and air-based
monitoring, the National Airspace System will experience fewer than before non-weather related delays. Despite
the increase in air traffic, these new aviation tools will lower the incidence of runway incursions and air-bound
delays by more efficiently tracking and routing aircraft.
As communities continue to grow and spread out around their airports,
expansion for these airports will become nearly impossible. This will limit
the airport's capacity and can limit the type of aircraft that could use the
airport. For example, if an airport has no additional land available to lengthen
a runway for use by the extra large jetliners predicted for future use, then
that airport will not be able to service those routes. This would limit the
amount of passengers that could be served at that airport despite the fact that
the surrounding population has continued to increase. If that airport is not
allowed to expand, then an additional airport site will need to be found, perhaps
leaving the older airports to accommodate the smaller aircraft and/or converting
to VTOL aircraft with the newer, larger airports accommodating the extra large
jetliners.
Population growth in some areas along with shifts in population to other areas will also influence an airport's design and location. As major metropolitan areas have little vacant land on which to expand an existing airport or to accommodate an increase in population, smaller cities are experiencing new and rapid growth. As these smaller cities continue to grow, their need for expanded air transportation will result in the establishment of a new airport or expansion of the existing one. The current conversion of closed military airfields can also provide air traffic relief for such growth spurts and population shifts.
NASA Research
Sometimes it feels like the benefits of air travel aren’t
worth the headache of airport traffic, long lines, and unexpected delays.
Fear not! Air transportation is on the verge of a revolution with the development
of Short Take-Off and Landing (STOL), Very Short Take-Off and Landing (VSTOL),
and Extremely Short Take-Off and Landing (ESTOL) aircraft.
Commercial aircraft currently require runways 8,000–12,000 feet long in order to generate the thrust and lift required for take-off and to accommodate deceleration upon descent. Short take-off and landing aircraft require a mere 3,000 feet or less. Many major airports already have short runways that could be easily adapted for STOL, VSTOL, and ESTOL aircraft. Use of these aircraft would increase flight capacity at congested airports, reducing airport delays and making travel more flexible and efficient for passengers. Eventually such aircraft will allow travelers to fly into the heart of major urban centers. It may become easier to fly than to drive when commuting between urban centers less than 300 miles apart. Students at the Cal Poly Design Lab, in conjunction with NASA, built
a prototype ESTOL aircraft. At NASA FutureFlight Central, researchers
created a virtual model of the prototype as well as a virtual model of
the heavily trafficked Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. Researchers modeled
runway and air traffic operations within the realistic airport environment.
These virtual simulations demonstrate ESTOL’s potential to provide
passengers with more efficient and less stressful traveling conditions.
And if the unexpected delay does occur, at least you’ll be waiting
it out on a shorter runway! |
 |
|
