Optimal Terminal Area Flow Control Using Eulerian Traffic Flow Model

Abstract

Development of a terminal area flow control algorithm suitable for use as a controller decision support tool is presented. Using the available traffic data, the control algorithm determines the miles-in-trail required at the metering fixes to deliver a desired traffic flow rate on the runway based on an Eulerian model. The present research is motivated by the NASA System Oriented Runway Management program. Eulerian models have been previously advanced for use in en-route air traffic flow control. In the present work, the parameters of the Eulerian model are derived from a Bayesian estimator using real-time traffic data. The Eulerian model is then used in conjunction with optimal control theory to derive the control law. The optimality criterion is chosen as a weighted sum of the deviations between desired runway flow rates and the miles-in-trail of the aircraft arriving at the metering fixes. The tracking performance of the algorithm is illustrated for traffic arriving into the San Francisco Metroplex as well as in the Los Angeles Metroplex. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach provides actionable decisions for selecting miles-intrail control for satisfying specified airport arrival rates.