Round Runway - Are These The Airports Of The Future? - Alternative View

Round Runway - Are These The Airports Of The Future? - Alternative View
Round Runway - Are These The Airports Of The Future? - Alternative View
Anonim

What if airport runways were like racing tracks? This is the idea behind the Endless Runway project, which sees circular runways making life a lot easier for airlines.

Imagine not having to run between duty free shops in search of your terminal until at some point it turns out that it is located at the other end of the airport, where you still need to get on the monorail, or that you no longer need to shift from your feet on your foot, waiting for the bus to fill up, and then shake in it on the way to the plane ladder.

Historically, the type of airports that we are accustomed to was formed due to construction opportunities, where the main emphasis was on simplicity of construction, and also due to the low level of development of aviation itself - the aircraft were not so powerful and maneuverable, they needed straight lines for takeoffs and landings. and flat areas. However, modern conditions pose completely different tasks for designers. When developing a new airport model, Dutch researchers have focused on such principles as compactness, low noise and economic efficiency.

Strictly speaking, the circular shape of airports is not a revolutionary idea. It was first proposed by the American test engineer Peter Backus in 1921. Then he proposed to place such a runway on the roofs of skyscrapers in New York. Later, several more variants of the ring airport were patented, which, however, were not used in commercial aviation. There are cases when in 1964-1965. The US military used General Motors' converted racetrack in Arizona for flight operations to train its pilots. Although the tests were successful, there was no further expansion of the use of ring runways.

The idea belongs to Dutch researcher Henk Hesselink and his partners at the National Aerospace Laboratory in the Netherlands.

Modern technology is developing at an alarming rate and dynamics. Each year, more and more conceptual works appear in various fields. Architecture in this respect is by no means an exception, especially when it comes to the construction and development of infrastructure facilities, such as airports.

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So, the project was named Circular Airport Runway Concept. As you might guess from the name, this airport has something round. This something (besides the general shape) was the runway. The whole point is that it is not just round, it also surrounds the airport itself, which is very practical and effective.

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A traditional runway has several disadvantages, the biggest of which is crosswind. If the wind blows strongly and perpendicular to the direction of the runway, then the aircraft can have serious problems with takeoff and landing. In particularly strong winds, some runways are closed and aircraft redirected, causing a cascade of delays throughout the system.

If the runway is round, then in theory the plane can take off in any direction. In addition, many aircraft will be able to use the "Endless Strip" at the same time.

Of course, you can't just make a big concrete circle in the field and thus solve all the problems. Such a runway should really be like a race track, meaning it will have to be built at an angle to prevent planes from flying out of the runway on bends. And it will be huge. Hesselink has already calculated that it will be about 3.5 km in diameter and 10 km in circumference. And of course, for such a strip it will be necessary to build a completely different round airport with a new system of access roads.

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To test if such a design could handle the load of a large airport, Hessilink and his team took statistics and flight patterns from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, which has four runways, and, using computer simulations, proved that a circular runway could provide the same number of takeoffs and landings. It is more efficient in terms of space. One such lane is equal in length to three regular lanes, but it can handle the traffic of four standard lanes. In addition, landing planes will not have to deal with the wind, which means that airlines will save on fuel and passengers on ticket prices.

True, Hesselink understands that none of the modern airports will follow his plan, since this form of the strip requires a radical restructuring of the entire infrastructure (just look at the photo of such an airport). But on islands where there is little land, and in small airports, this design is quite appropriate. In addition, it is more aesthetic and looks beautiful from the air.

Due to the fact that aircraft can land from any direction and take off in any direction, it will be possible to get rid of the risks associated with side wind gusts during landing. Upon landing, passengers will only feel the sensation that arises when the plane turns in the air - on board the plane it will not seem like you are on a roller coaster. Centrifugal force will also help with the braking of the aircraft after landing.

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The ability to land from different directions will simplify the necessary maneuvers and reduce the amount of fuel consumed, as well as lead to a more even distribution of noise around the airport. Cyclic runways will also reduce the burden on airports, as one cyclic runway is comparable to four traditional runways in terms of the number of simultaneous landings - thus it is a much more efficient way to manage air traffic."

According to the expert, the idea of circular runways came to his mind after he came across a video of an aircraft landing in a strong crosswind - the board on it actually dangled from side to side, but the pilots somehow miraculously managed to land. The Netherlands Aerospace Center team has already tested the possibility of landing on an inclined cyclic lane in flight simulators. Research continues, but there is no talk of building the first ring airport.