Project 05 - Demo-Enroute Optimization

Project 5 investigated and quantified the benefits of an optimization tool that air traffic controllers could use to assign aircraft to cruise altitude. There were five objectives to the research: extend the algorithm to multiple flight levels ensure that all aircraft exit the sector as originally planned ensure reasonable controller workload develop an interface and concept of operations to test the algorithm evaluate the algorithm with a human in the loop evaluation. The first three objectives were achieved through the optimization algorithm design. In current conflict avoidance maneuver practice, aircraft may change their paths laterally, vertically, or both. First, resolution maneuvers are temporally spaced no closer than 20 seconds. Second, resolution maneuvers are scheduled to occur long enough after maneuvers are presented to controllers so they have sufficient time comprehend them and take appropriate action. Third, each aircraft may only be maneuvered once in each volume of airspace. Three versions of the algorithm were created and tested: cooperative version: all the aircraft involved in a potential conflict are allowed to maneuver to resolve the conflict non-cooperative version: one aircraft involved in a potential conflict is allowed to maneuver to resolve the conflict no-speed-change version: potential conflicts are resolved without aircraft speed changes, (i.e., heading and altitude changes only) The algorithm was evaluated in two phases. In the first phase, algorithm-level evaluation was conducted within the scope of the algorithm process, where the results from the algorithm were checked by a conflict detection routine. In the second phase, scenario-level evaluation was conducted on the output (specifically the time history of the output) of the algorithm. This latter phase of testing was needed because of the greater-than-expected stochasticity in real-world radar data when the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) traffic simulation application was employed.

• Record URL:
  http://partner.mit.edu/projects/en-route-traffic-optimization-reduce-environmental-impact
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Program Information: Energy and Environment, Operational Procedures. Final Report is available at: http://ntl.bts.gov/lib/54000/54400/54454/proj5-enrouteoptimiz-final.pdf

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $1930153.00
• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Project Managers:

  Hileman, James

  Maurice, Lourdes

• Performing Organizations:

  Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta

  School of Building Construction
  280 Ferst Drive
  Atlanta, GA  United States  30332
• Principal Investigators:

  Waitz, Ian

• Start Date: 20120510
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• Source Data: RiP Project 30596

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air traffic control; Aircraft operations; Algorithms; Civil aviation; Enroute traffic control; Optimization
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Operations and Traffic Management;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01572632
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Department of Transportation
• Files: RIP
• Created Date: Aug 11 2015 1:00AM