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CSSI, Inc. Headquarters

400 Virginia Avenue, SW • Suite 210 • Washington, DC 20024

202.863.2175 • 202.863.7400 fax • 888.275.0862 toll-freewww.cssiinc.com

Moving Research to Reality

Advances in NASPAC

Innovations in NAS-wide Simulation WorkshopGeorge Mason University

January 27th - 28th 2010

Lakshmi Vempati

Outline

• Introduction

• NASPAC Current Architecture

• Recent Enhancements○ Oceanic Operations○ Terminal Area Modeling

• Closing comments

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Introduction

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• National Airspace System Performance Analysis Capability (NASPAC)

○ System-wide model developed in the 1980’s○ Discrete event simulation representing the NAS as a network of

interconnected queues○ Used for cost-benefit analysis

• Technical and software support provided by CSSI and Metron for the FAA (Joe Post)

NASPAC Current Architecture

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SCHEDULE FILTER

ITINERARY GENERATOR

Fleet Evolution flag enabled?

ETMA-BADAAircraft

Modeler flag enabled?

ETMS-BADA AIRCRAFT MAPPER

TRAJECTORY MODELER

No

Yes

No

FLEET EVOLUTION

Yes

Itinerary

Itinerary

FlightPlan Itinerary

Itinerary

Itinerary

VFRAircraft

ATO-P Input ScheduleATO-P ScheduleCity Pair filesEquipage file

Flight PlanTurn Around Times

ETMS to BADA Mapping DictionaryCombined Fleet ForecastATO-P Input ScheduleBetween Aircraft Category Evolution Configuraton File

Equipment CategoriesClimb & Descent Profile MapAM Departure FixAM Arrival FixAM AirportsAM VFR Airports

Q ROUTES 2 FORMATTER

IFR TrajectoriesIFR Trajectories

IFRCrossings

Sector Geometry DefinitionRestrictions Definition

IFR CrossingsAirport AttributesVFR AircraftExpanded Quota Overflow Delays to AirportEstimated Departure Clearance TimeSwap CNX

CHANGE FILE GENERATOR

GDP GENERATOR

SIMULATION ENGINE

POST

PROCESSOR

GDP Module enabled?

Yes

No

Aircraft(file will be modified)

Aircraft

ChangeParameter

Change ParameterAirport Initialization

Aircraft File

Trace files

FilenamesArrival Fix CapacityDeparture Fix CapacityIn-Trail RestrictionSector CapacitySimulation Airport Pareto CurvesAirport InitializationTurnaround TimeEn Route TimeAircraftChange ParameterPeriodic

Airport WeatherAirport Special Conditions

Airport Pareto CurvesAirport InitializationAirport ConditionsSector Capacity

Sector Time Capacity

GDP Airport ConfigurationAirport Initialization

Airport Pareto CurvesAirport

Aircraft

Legend:

Pre-Processor

Simulation Core

Post-Processor

Trimming and Smoothing

Q-ROUTE 1

FIND CROSSINGS

IFR TrajectoiresAnd

Find Corssings

Sector Initial capacity FileCity Pairs file

GATE FINDER

Input SchedulesSector Definitions

Sector Names

Oceanic Operations

• Model separation of aircraft in US oceanic airspace through the use of restrictions

• Oceanic regions modeled (with updated find crossings module)○ Oakland oceanic (ZOA),○ New York oceanic (ZNY) and○ Anchorage oceanic (ZAN) sectors 10 and 11.

• Challenges ○ No geometry information in the simulation engine○ Limitation of existing find crossings module to NW quadrant of the globe only

• Pre processing and data requirements○ Process and merge ATOP FPL with FZ where necessary and cleanse data○ Compile international waypoint data into NASPAC readable format○ Sector definitions for New York, Oakland and Anchorage○ Oceanic separation standards lookup based on

■ Equipage■ Oceanic Region

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Gate Finder

• Gate Finder to generate restrictions○ Un-capacitated US oceanic sectors for Oakland (ZOA), New York (ZNY), and Anchorage

(ZAN) fully functional with newer sector crossings module○ Restriction generated at any "filed waypoint + filed cruise altitude" in the schedule used by 2 or

more flights

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Restriction

All headings (0-359)All airport pairsFor entire day10 min in trail separation± 500 ft altitude bounds above or below the target filed cruise altitude

Yes

Filed waypoint + filed cruise altitude used by 2 or more flights

Gate Finder

Sector names

Input schedule

Sector definitions

Oceanic Operations: Example restrictions

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• Restrictions created for one NASPAC schedule:○ Vertically-oriented lines represent restrictions created on oceanic network waypoints○ Horizontally-oriented lines represent restrictions on all other waypoints

Terminal Area Modeling

• Incorporate SID/STAR/IAP routes into flight schedules and integrate into trajectory modeler to support modeling altitude restrictions (level-offs)

• Challenges○ SID/STAR/IAP definitions are updated every 56 days. ○ Not all procedure definitions are included in the National Flight Database. Example SIDs with

non-structured routing○ SID/STAR/IAP charts contain extensive information in free text as well as graphically. Not all

information is captured in the database. ○ Special cases:

■ Altitude restrictions based on direction of arrival e.g. KORD Janesville 5 Arrival■ Procedures applicable to: Aircraft type (e.g. Turboprop, Turbojet), Equipage (e.g. DME,

GPS), Speed restrictions (e.g. 250K, 280K), Time of day, Runway use (e.g. R12L fly at 10000)

■ Expect to cross at lowest available altitude (e.g. KEWR Williamsport 5Arrival)■ Combination of multiple aircraft type, multiple runway altitude restrictions (e.g. KBOS

Gardner 3 Arrival)○ Existing schedule filed waypoint inconsistencies○ Field 10 parsing issues ○ Issues with merging existing routes with SID/STAR/IAP

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SID/STAR Implementation

• Pre-processing and data requirements○ Field 10 (Route of flight information)○ SID/STAR/IAP definitions ○ Supplemental information from aeronautical charts○ Parse field10, lookup SID/STAR when specified and merge into waypoints list

• Assignment and Merging Algorithm

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Field 10 ParserInput schedule

Sid/Star/IAP Database

Assigning/Merging Algorithm

Modified schedule

Yes

No

Has SID/STAR

LookupAssign

Merge

SID/STAR Assignment Examples

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ATL Departures

IAD Arrivals

Closing comments

• Initial oceanic restrictions and in trail separations (distance and time-based) implemented

• Initial SID/STAR routing, assignment and merging

• Ongoing efforts:○ Oceanic in-trail climb/descent○ IAP assignment○ Full integration into NASPAC

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Questions?

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CSSI, Inc. Headquarters

400 Virginia Avenue, SW • Suite 210 • Washington, DC 20024

202.863.2175 • 202.863.7400 fax • 888.275.0862 toll-freewww.cssiinc.com

Moving Research to Reality

Backup Slides

Oceanic Separation Standards

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Area/Track System CEP/PACOTS NOPAC WATRS NAT MNPS Minimum Track Spacing

Equipage

50 NM 50 NM 50 NM 53 – 60 NM Lateral Separation

RNP10/RNP4, HF Voice

50 NM 50 NM 50 NM N/A

RNP 4, HF Voice, ADS-C, CPDLC

30 NM 50 NM 50 NM N/A

NAT MNPS authorized

N/A N/A 60 NM 60 NM

Others 100 NM 100 NM 90 NM 90 NM Longitudinal Separation

RNP10, HF Voice, ADS-C, CPDLC

50 NM 50 NM 10 minutes, mach assigned

10 minutes, mach assigned

RNP 4, HF Voice, ADS-C, CPDLC

30 NM 50 NM 10 minutes, mach assigned

10 minutes, mach assigned

Others 10 minutes 10 minutes test 15 minutes 15 minutes Vertical Separation

Up to FL 280 1000 feet FL 290 - 410

1000 feet between RVSM authorized aircraft 2000 feet if both passing aircraft not RVSM authorized

FL 420 and Above

2000 feet