Abstract:
To study the formation, evolution, and decay of aircraft wake vortices in the high-altitude en-route phase, the initial strengths and hazard areas of wake vortices at different flight altitudes are obtained by a fast calculation model of wake vortex. The dissipation law of wake vortices at high altitudes is also analyzed. These data can help to reveal the regulation of wake vortices, and can provide basic foundation for studying the evolutionary characteristics of aircraft wake vortices in the upper airspace. Then, the hazard areas of high-altitude wake vortices are calculated under the condition of different aircraft weights and flight speeds, atmospheric turbulence intensities, and atmospheric stratification stabilities. Results show that, compared with those in medium- and low-altitudes, wake vortices in high-altitudes have larger initial strengths and dissipation rates, and the resulting hazard areas have larger lateral dimensions but smaller vertical dimensions. The influence of the wake vortex can be reduced by properly changing the aircraft parameters and atmospheric conditions. These results will hopefully shed some lights on the vertical interval reduction of high-altitude wake vortex.