Abstract
A conflict is an event in which two or more aircraft experience a loss of minimum separation. In this paper, we formulate the problem of solving conflicts arising among several aircraft moving in a shared airspace as a Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP). The constraint satisfaction problem being NP-complete, the algorithms developed to solve it have been of two types: non-systematic and systematic search methods. In this paper, we have considered a breakout algorithm as an example of non-systematic search methods and a backtracking procedure that maintains Arc Consistency (MAC) as an example of systematic search methods. The performance of these algorithms was compared experimentally and the Breakout algorithm is shown to be clearly superior.
Highlights
The annual cost to the airline industry due to the ATC caused delays is estimated to be $5.5 billion [1]
We have considered a breakout algorithm as an example of non-systematic search methods and a backtracking procedure that maintains Arc Consistency (MAC) as an example of systematic search methods
We have considered a breakout algorithm as an example of non-systematic search methods and a backtracking procedure that maintains Arc Consistency as an example of systematic search
Summary
The annual cost to the airline industry due to the ATC caused delays is estimated to be $5.5 billion [1]. 1) Long Range: Some form of conflict prediction and resolution is carried out over a time horizon of several hours It involves composing flight plans and airline schedules (on a daily basis, for example) to ensure that airport and sector capacities are not exceeded; 2) Mid-Range: Conflict prediction and resolution is carried out by Air Traffic Controllers, over horizons of the order of tens of minutes. We focus on the mid-term conflict resolution problem which is an on-line problem This problem can be stated as follows: Knowing the positions of aircraft at any given time and their future positions (to a fixed degree of accuracy) over the ten minutes, what manoeuvring instructions should the Air Traffic Controller give to these aircraft so that the separation constraints are satisfied?
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