An Elementary Algorithm for Autonomous Air Terminal Merging and Interval Management

Abstract

A central element of air traffic management is the safe merging and spacing of aircraft during the terminal area flight phase. This paper derives and examines an algorithm for the merging and interval managing problem for Standard Terminal Arrival Routes. It describes a factor analysis for performance based on the distribution of arrivals, the operating period of the terminal, and the topology of the arrival routes; then presents results from a performance analysis and from a safety analysis for a realistic topology based on typical routes for a runway at Phoenix International Airport. The heart of the safety analysis is a statistical derivation on how to conduct a safety analysis for a local simulation when the safety requirement is given for the entire airspace I. INTRODUCTION This study develops and examines an algorithm for the merging and interval managing problem for Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARS). Once the algorithm is derived, there are two parts to this study. The first part consists of a factor analysis for performance that considers the distribution of arrivals, the operating period of the terminal, and the topology of the arrival routes. The second part conducts a performance analysis and a safety analysis for a realistic topology based on the routes for one of the runways at Phoenix International Airport. The overall objective is to increase understanding of air traffic by creating algorithms and models. The merging and interval management of aircraft in a terminal appears to be a topic that can evolve into other areas. Secondary objectives include:  Simulation for part of or all of the national airspace-such simulations can contribute to more efficient and safer routing and operations, and such simulations depend on accurate and efficient models of terminal operations.  Operation of autonomous aircraftautonomous aircraft can perform routine and boring tasks such as monitoring a forest for fires, and they can perform dangerous tasks such as crop dusting. We are more willing to send an autonomous craft instead of a piloted airplane into hazardous conditions. In the near future, we may see the autonomous operation of cargo carriers.  Layout of arrival routesthere may or may not be two different criteria. One is the efficient and safe conduction of autonomous procedures. The other is to ease the burden of an air traffic controller. For air traffic controllers, our conjecture is that easing the burden leads to more efficient and safer operation.  Extension to traffic outside the terminal areain the material below, when an aircraft arrives at the terminal area, the algorithm computes whether or not it can enter the queue. One possibility is the converse of this where the algorithm computes the range of arrival speeds and arrival times that allow it to enter the queue. This can be applied to aircraft in transit. It can possibly be extended to cover the entire flight including takeoff time.