An air traffic control simulator for the evaluation of flow management strategies

Abstract

An air traffic-control (ATC) simulator for the evaluation of flow management strategies was designed and implemented in Lisp. The ATC system is modeled as a network of queueing systems. Flights are generated from a flight schedule, a text file created by the simulation scenario designer. The simulator supports the following flow control actions: ground holds, airborne holds, speed control, and rerouting. Tools are included for schedule generation and statistical analysis. The design of a scenario requires a working knowledge of Lisp. This thesis includes an overview of the flow management problem, a discussion of modeling issues and design considerations, a description of the implementation of the simulator in moderate detail, results from a sample simulation scenario which includes a simple flow management strategy, and suggestions for possible improvements to the simulator.