Optimal circular 3-arced with constant speed coordinated maneuvers for planar multi aircraft conflict resolution

Abstract

In this paper, the problem of designing optimal conflict-free maneuvers for multiple aircraft encounters is studied. The proposed maneuvers are based on changes of heading, speed and maneuvering time. The optimality of maneuvers among the conflict-free constraint is based on minimization of a certain cost function based on kinetic energy of either aircraft involved. Some suitable priority weight factors are incorporated into the cost function so that optimal resolution maneuvers are such that aircraft with lower priorities assume more responsibility in resolving the conflicts. As for considering aircraft turning dynamics, the circular 3-arced path with constant speed are proposed for each aircraft maneuver rather than the well known optimal two-legged solutions. Fairly thorough simulations have been done to evaluate the effectiveness of the methodology, while some are presented here to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms for real time conflict resolution.