Volcanoes of the World

Multi-objective optimisation of aircraft flight trajectories in the ATM and avionics context

This paper describes the design, development and results from a high fidelity human-in-the-loop simulation of an integrated set of trajectory-based automation tools providing precision scheduling, sequencing and controller merging and spacing functions. These integrated functions are combined into a system called the Terminal Area Precision Scheduling and Spacing (TAPSS) system. It is a strategic and tactical planning tool that provides Traffic Management Coordinators, En Route and Terminal Radar Approach Control air traffic controllers the ability to efficiently optimize the arrival capacity of a demand-impacted airport while simultaneously enabling fuel-efficient descent procedures. The TAPSS system consists of four-dimensional trajectory prediction, arrival runway balancing, aircraft separation constraint-based scheduling, traffic flow visualization and trajectory-based advisories to assist controllers in efficient metering, sequencing and spacing. The TAPSS system was evaluated and compared to today's ATC operation through extensive series of human- in-the loop simulations for arrival flows into the Los Angeles International Airport. The test conditions included the variation of aircraft demand from a baseline of today's capacity constrained periods through 5%, 10% and 20% increases. Performance data were collected for engineering and human factor analysis and compared with similar operations both with and without the TAPSS system. The engineering data indicate operations with the TAPSS show up to a 10% increase in airport throughput during capacity constrained periods while maintaining fuel-efficient aircraft descent profiles from cruise to landing.

http://www.atmseminar.org/seminarContent/seminar9/papers/40-Swenson-Final-Paper-4-14-11.pdf

Design and Evaluation of the Terminal Area Precision Scheduling and Spacing System

Mitigating the Climate Impact from Aviation: Achievements and Results of the DLR WeCare Project

An apparatus for generating flight-optimizing trajectories for a first aircraft includes a receiver capable of receiving second trajectory information associated with at least one second aircraft. The apparatus also includes a traffic aware planner (TAP) module operably connected to the receiver to receive the second trajectory information. The apparatus also includes at least one internal input device on board the first aircraft to receive first trajectory information associated with the first aircraft and a TAP application capable of calculating an optimal trajectory for the first aircraft based at least on the first trajectory information and the second trajectory information. The optimal trajectory at least avoids conflicts between the first trajectory information and the second trajectory information.

/pdf/method-and-apparatus-for-generating-flight-optimizing-h7pd4z75s6.pdf

Method and Apparatus for Generating Flight-Optimizing Trajectories

In order to meet the anticipated future demand for air travel, DLR's Institute of Flight Guidance is investigating Distributed Air-Ground Traffic Management (DAG-TM) for arrivals in the Extended TMA Based on the exchange of information between aircraft and ATC via data link, a trajectory based traffic management can take into account user preferred trajectories as well as make use of highly accurate prediction of aircraft movements This contribution will focus on the airborne part - in particular on the 4D FMS functions for planning and flying various types of CDA approaches The planning functions to compute approach profiles ranging from 2 degree (clean configuration) up to steep slopes (more than 5 degree) with early configuration and glide path intersection from above will be presented Furthermore, functions to compensate deviations due to inaccurately forecasted wind will be described These functions ensure flying the predicted flight path The new CDA functionalities have been implemented in DLR's 4D capable advanced flight management system (AFMS) and intensively tested during various flight trials in the A330 Full Flight Simulator in Berlin and with DLR's test aircraft ATTAS, a VFW 614 twin engine jet transport aircraft modified for research purposes The results of these trials will be presented and discussed

4D FMS for Increasing Efficiency of TMA Operations

New conflicting future demands in air travel like gain of capacity and coexistent reduction of environmental impact necessitate new airborne functions and a better integration of these capabilities in air traffic management (ATM). DLR's Advanced Flight Management System proved a highly accurate predictability of 4D trajectories in flight trials with the A330-300 Full Flight Simulator of ZFB Berlin and DLR's test aircraft ATTAS, a VFW 614 twin engine jet transport aircraft modified for research purposes. Due to an inefficient air-ground integration current terminal manoeuvring area (TMA) concepts do not support 4D-capable aircraft in flying fuel efficient and noise abating profiles. A trajectory based TMA handling is necessary to combine aircraft optimized flight profiles with high airport efficiency. This paper presents results of advanced continuous descent approaches (CDA) flight trials with the research aircraft ATTAS and simulation trials with the A330 full flight simulator. Furthermore, a trajectory based TMA concept is introduced as a possible solution for the current trade-off between green trajectories and high airport capacity even in high traffic situations.

Green trajectories in high traffic TMAs

4d trajectory management in the extended tma: coupling aman and 4d fms for opti-mized approach trajectories

International parcel services as well as online retailers are planning to install their own delivery drone fleets in the foreseeable future. Given the typical volumes of such businesses it is likely that this poses huge demands on the urban airspace in terms of capacity and conflict resolution. Current UTM concepts devise means to automatically detect and solve conflicts in smaller scales. However, it is yet unanswered to what degree a conflict-free operation of hundreds or thousands of drones occupying the same airspace is possible. In this paper we present a generic simulation framework that can load a given urban airspace with a specified demand or frequency of delivery drones. Based on actual street map data the user can specify a delivery area, a regular or randomized delivery schedule and a number of logistic centers to start from. Random destinations are then picked from the street maps and drones are scheduled to service these destinations. Further, the system analyzes the pre-planned drone schedule for conflicts and tries to resolve these conflicts without delaying individual drones too much. We detail statistics on how responsive the system is to unexpected events like emergency helicopters. The results give first insights, to what degree automatic de-conflicting solutions may work in urban areas.

Deconflicting the urban drone airspace

Today, 4D-Trajectory-Based Operations and international harmonization for global Air Traffic Management (ATM) systems are the main driving concept elements for the modernization of ATM. The availability of ground-based 4D trajectories leads to new possibilities allowing early conflict detection and efficient conflict avoidance. Nevertheless, efficient conflict detection becomes a big challenge when dealing with large amounts of detailed trajectories in a global environment. This paper proposes a new representation of 4D trajectories facilitating a high performance conflict detection algorithm. The proposed algorithm subdivides the initial envelope of all trajectories in smaller 4D tiles until each tile contains only one trajectory. If that is not possible before reaching a predefined minimum tile size, a conflict is detected. Since the algorithm's runtime is only marginally influenced by the scenario's complexity, this technique is particularly efficient for large scale scenarios.

Alexander Kuenz

Papers

4D FMS for Increasing Efficiency of TMA Operations

Green trajectories in high traffic TMAs

4d trajectory management in the extended tma: coupling aman and 4d fms for opti-mized approach trajectories

Deconflicting the urban drone airspace

Tiling the world — Efficient 4D conflict detection for large scale scenarios