Graphical Modeling and Simulation for a Multi-Aircraft Collision Avoidance Algorithm based on Collaborative Decisions

Abstract

The Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) is recognized worldwide as the last resort for avoiding midair collisions. The existing TCAS can solve pairwise conflict effectively, but cannot manage multi-aircraft conflict satisfactorily, and more seriously, can even trigger domino conflicts in some situation. In response to the increasingly frequent multi-aircraft conflicts, especially three-aircraft conflicts, it is necessary to improve the ability of TCAS. This paper studies the collision avoidance of multi-aircraft scenarios and innovatively proposes a collaborative optimization of a collision avoidance system (CAS) based on the state prediction of the aircraft. In the process, not only invading aircraft but also potential invading aircraft are considered in the plan for an optimal conflict resolution program. From the perspective of mathematics, the collaborative multi-aircraft conflict detection and resolution algorithm is described in detail in this paper. In the end, this paper conducts a comparative experiment to prove the feasibility of the algorithm in three-aircraft scenarios using InCAS software and Gmas simulation software based on graphical modeling of complex systems. The experimental results show that the CAS proposed in this paper can efficiently prevent the occurrence of domino conflicts and guide each aircraft to avoid conflict areas and return to their origin trajectories. In contrast, the existing TCAS will cause the target aircraft to intensify the conflict with the potential invading aircraft when avoiding intruder aircraft. The research greatly remedies the gaps in the area of multi-aircraft collision avoidance and greatly improves the ability and efficiency of TCAS.

Keywords

• collision avoidance system
• multi-aircraft conflict
• collaborative optimization
• conflict detection and resolution
• graphical modeling