The European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation

Hamid KADOUR - EUROCONTROLAtlantic City – October 16th, 2019

28/02/2017

Synergies between HITL & Modeling Platform

An Illustration with the validation exercise from SESAR 2020 PJ08 – EXE-08.01-02

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AGENDA

• DAC – The ATM Concept Under Validation

• The Validation Challenges

• Identified Synergies Between Modeling and HITL Platforms

• The Platforms Setup

• The Validation Results

• Conclusions

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Dynamic Airspace Configuration

The CONCEPT under VALIDATION

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SESAR 2020 PJ08 – DAC Concept

• The Dynamic Airspace Configuration (DAC) Concept in SESAR research S2020 programme:

• Sector design not based on a fixed route network but optimized on user preferred routing in a free route environment.

• Airspace Configurations, designed and managed dynamically, that provide flexibility and respond to performance objectives that vary in time and place.

• Introduction of flexible reservations areas (DMA) to replace when possible the use of static areas (i.e. military)

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What is DAC

• DAC is an Airspace Capacity Management ToolboxPart of the Demand & Capacity Balancing (DCB) process

• Flexible & Automated Airspace design, anticipating resources (ATCOs) needed to manage forecasted AUs’ traffic demand

Dynamic ATC sectors border design

• Airspace Capacity management using non-predefined configurations

Non predefined Sectors Configurations, including Cross-border Airspace Configurations

• Performance oriented, in a Full Free Route Airspace environment

• Civil/Military Coordination: Dynamic Mobile Areas of two types - DMA type 1 and 2

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What are we achieving

Human Interactions & Coordination

using a system

• To integrate DAC as part of the Demand and Capacity (ATFCM) operational process as a mean to adjust the available capacity

CDM process based on Integrated ASM/ATFCM services (managed both at Local and Network Level)

• To investigate the roles & responsibilities of the involved ATM actors

i.e. Network Manager, ANSPs Flow Managers …

Modelling & Performance

measurements

• To deliver a Dynamic Airspace Configuration function

Automated Sectors design, Airspace Configuration optimizer

• To manage Civil traffic demand and Military activities (i.e. Dynamic Mobile Areas - DMAs)

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To Validate the Concept

Deal with Validation Challenges

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The challenges we face

Operational• Acceptance of ATC sectors designed using

automation• Complex coordination between ATM actors

Civil & Military interactions

Technical

• Advanced techniques • Automating the sector design (i.e. Genetic algorithms)• Estimation of airspace capacities (using ML algorithms)

• Optimal positioning of DMAs (Type 1 & 2) depending on performance indicators and flexible parameters

• Including Re-routing options for impacted civil traffic

• Integration of diverse System real-time Prototypes (e.g. Network Manager, ANSPs Local DAC support tool)

Planning• Limited time to perform the validation activities

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Our ATM simulation capabilities

• An efficient usage of the capabilities offered by the EUROCONTROL Network unit’s validation platforms:

• R-NEST, the Research Network StrategicTool,A powerful model based simulation tool, sharing thesame ground as the EUROCONTROL NEST tool.Dedicated to research activities for pre-evaluatingadvanced ATM concepts. Combining dynamicATFCM simulations, with powerful airspace designand capacity planning analysis functionalities.

• INNOVE, the INnovative NetworkOperations Validation EnvironmentAn air traffic flow management real-timesimulator where humans are in the loop, or modelsemulate behaviours and operational processes.Provides the real B2B services compliant with theNM operations system to connect with externalplatforms (e.g. airports, FMP local tools, FOC-FlightOperation Centre)

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A strategy to achieve the objective

RNEST

• Simulation Scenario Data preparation

• Complex Algorithm development (Sector design, DMAs rerouting, Airspace configuration optimisation)

• Performance assessment

INNOVE

• Network Manager B2B services emulation

• DAC Services

• Human Interactions & coordination

• Collaborative process investigation – ASM/ATFCM

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Automated Sector Design Using a new AI algorithm to define capacity values of new sectors

Dynamic Re-routing options around DMAs (i.e. military area), Optimal DMA location

Optimised Airspace Configuration Using ICO DAC

Data Preparation

Features to be used as

Services in simulation

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NM B2B Services

INNOVE

WOC - AIRBUS

DAC Tool – PANSA Local Prototype

DAC Tool – Network Manager

DAC Tool - DFS local Prototype

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The Validation Exercise

The Platforms setup

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Involved Partners & Roles in the EXE runs

• EUROCONTROL: Network Manager

• PANSA: Local DAC (FMP & AMC)

• DFS: Local DAC (AMC)

• AIRBUS: WOC

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Dry-run: 17-18 & 23-24 January 2019 √Execution: 12-13 & 19-20 February 2019 √

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The chosen simulation setup

INNOVE

RNEST

WOC Local DAC (ASM/ATFCM)

Local DAC NM (ASM/ATFCM)

B2B Services

RNEST Gateway

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Services & Features provided

INNOVE (EUROCONTROL) :• NM compliant B2B services (Flights, Flow, Airspace, …)• New PJ08 Services for:

• DMA & ATC volumes Create/Read/Update functions• Flight lists by DMA/ATC volumes• Optimal DMA location *• Optimal Opening scheme *• Free route rerouting avoiding DMA *• KPI Metrics and targets on route extension, extra fuel

consumption and delay• Management of simulations for What-if purpose

• Support for NM position

CAT (PANSA) as Local DAC tool for FMP & AMC:• Connected to INNOVE using B2B services• Innovative interface for visualizing DMAs and traffic

and manipulating DMAs

(*) Features executed by RNEST

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RNEST Gateway

• Partners access to RNEST services using a remote connection through INNOVE

• RNEST in a secured and safe environment

RNEST

Gateway server

INNOVEDAC Services Request

DAC Client

Create RNEST Task1

Retrieve Data 2

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Prepare & Call RNEST functions

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Process RNEST outputs

Execute task4

Return Results 6DAC results

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RNEST Gateway

• Remote connection to RNEST located in a safe serverRNEST services accessible online and/or on local network

• Implementation of reliable and robust communications mechanismsAllow INNOVE to invoke RNEST batch processing and recover resultsNo changes in RNEST or INNOVE

• Dynamic data exchange INNOVE/RNESTAllowing usage of RNEST complex algorithms

• No need to re-develop functions existing in RNEST.

INNOVE

RNEST

Gateway

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Dynamic Airspace Configuration

The Validation Results

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Validation results

• First feedbacks tends to show that:Concept seems to be acceptedRoles & responsibilities are clearOperational feasibility is promisingDAC and DMA on civil/military collaboration and coordination is improvedTechnical feasibility is not a problemSituational awareness provided by the different tools is quite good

• And:Future system requirements have been expressedModel for Wave 2 seems more clear

• Technical developments:Compute Optimal Sector Configurations: using RNEST ICO DACDefine Optimal location of DMAs for minimum impact on civil traffic according to defined flexible

parameters: 3 different ways (manual with instant feedback of the HMI or two different algorithms developed by DFS & EUROCONTROL).Reroute traffic to avoid DMAs: using RNEST FRA rerouting Monitor situations/what-if against Performance targets: using INNOVE/RNEST measures

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Conclusion

• A first step for a fully integrated ATM concept validation chain that maximise the synergies and capabilities of both INNOVE and RNEST:

ConsolidatedIdea

INNOVE

ATM Idea /Concept

RNEST

HIL

Logs for Analysis

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