Automated Generation of Air Traffic Encounters for Testing Conflict-Resolution Software

Abstract

A method was developed to automatically generate simulated air traffic encounters for testing conflict-resolution software. A trajectory scripting language was developed to generate simulated trajectories that result in conflicts with a specified geometry. A script was then written to automatically generate a set of scripts written in the trajectory language, each of which generates a conflict with a specified geometry involving two flights. A set of level-flight conflicts was generated by taking permutations of three basic encounter parameters: the path crossing angle, the minimum separation, and the aircraft speeds. A set of nonlevel-flight conflicts was also generated by varying the altitude difference and the vertical velocity difference at minimum separation. The resulting conflicts were then run with conflict resolution in a fast-time, batch-mode simulation of the resulting maneuvers. Plots of the resulting resolution maneuvers allow the algorithm developer to quickly visualize and verify the reasonableness of the maneuvers for a wide range of encounter geometries. The results can also help find errors in the conflict-resolution algorithm and software.