Analysis of Multi-Sector Planner Concepts in U.S. Airspace Kevin Corker, Paul Lee, Tom Prevot, Eromi Guneratne, Lynne Martin, Nancy Smith, Savvy Verma, Jeffrey Homola, and Joey Mercer San Jose State University &NASA Ames Research Center kevin.corker@sjsu.edu Kevin.Corker@SJSU.EDU Prepared for 7 th ATM USA Europe ATM R&D Seminar Barcelona, Spain July 3, 2007 Sponsorship: Richard Jehlen, Diana Liang, Steve Bradford (ATOP)
Agenda STATEMENT OF RESEARCH INTEREST PRIOR RESEARCH CURRENT FOCUS EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES FOR OPCON TOOLS & EQUIPMENT FOR OPCON AIRSPACE STRUCTURE EXPERIMENTAL MANIPULATIONS RESULTS EFFICIENCY & EFFECTIVENESS COMMUNICATIONS WORKLOAD DISCUSSION CONCLUSIONS & FUTURE DIRECTIONS 2
Statement of Research Interest Opportunity for re-assessment of En Route organizational and functional configurations based on: Digital data communication among all operators Improved positioning accuracy for flight operations, System-wide information management Medium-term conflict prediction Predictive sector complexity assessment Opportunity to leverage prior work in Multi-Sector Operations Motivation to explore flexible staffing configurations Motivation to examine co-location and workstation layout requirements 3
En Route Control Reconfiguration: Multi-Sector Planner Operations: Prior Research Eurocontrol: PHARE Eurocontrol PHARE (1997, 1998) FAA Dynamic Resectorization explored: Kopardekar and Magyritas (2002) Mitre-CASSD En Route efficiency: Celio, et al. (2005) European Research One Sky: MANTAS (2005) CEATS (2005) Gate-to-Gate (2006) FAA FEWS: WJHTC Willems, et al. (2006) SJSU: Cognitive Task Analysis Corker et al. (2005) Summary: Two distinct operational roles for the MSP emerge (Multi-D & Area Flow) No conclusive or comparative data for which of these two are better and under what airspace management context 4
Operational Focus of Current Research Examine feasibility of MSP operations in US Airspace operations with prior research as a starting point Explore the range of MSP functions and efficiencies that can be gained MSP supporting several Radar controllers by performing an expanded set of functions as a Data (or radar associate) controller Multi-D MSP supporting MSP area-wide operations by interacting with adjacent MSP and managing traffic flows. Area-Flow Controller Explore decision-support tool requirements for each operational requirement 5
Cognitive Systems Engineering Approach Analyses of prior MSP and En Route staffing modifications Cognitive walkthrough with controllers and supervisors on range of MSP functional options Medium fidelity simulation (NASA Ames) to test function allocation and simulation High fidelity full mission simulation 6
MSP Roles and Responsibilities Multi -D Monitor Multisector status for conflict detection Coordinate with R sides to ensure effective actions, including handouts and point outs Ensure routing separations, impact of traffic and complexity levels Resolve medium term or multi-sector conflicts Coordinate with R sides to ensure effective actions Prioritize conflicts for medium term or multi-sector evaluation Coordinate solutions with adjacent Multi- Ds and TMUs as needed Modify trajectories for conflicts, weather and congestion Manage traffic flow House keeping Area Flow Monitor multisector status and traffic flow Coordinate with adjacent Area Flow to anticipate traffic flow requirements Modify trajectories for flow, weather, and congestion Coordinate with R-sides as needed Ensure that traffic management initiatives are carried out by R-sides Plan and develop traffic flow Develop multisector traffic and airport initiatives with TMU s and R- sides Initiate local traffic flow initiatives and rerouting Advise R-sides on adhering to current FAA separation requirements Continuously review traffic management initiatives 7
Tools in Support for MSP Multi-D Traffic Display Conflict Probe Route and Altitude Trial Plans Ground/Ground Data Link (controller-controller clearance coordination) Voice Communication Systems Sector Load Graphs and Load Table Electronic Flight Strips Quick Look capability to view any of the r-side traffic displays (DSR) See All DSR Repeater Area Flow Traffic Display Route and Altitude Trial Plans Ground/Ground Data link (controller-controller clearance coordination) Voice Communication System Sector Load Graphs and Load Table Electronics Flight Strips Quick Look See All DSR Repeater 8
Radar Controller Operations Roles/Responsibilities Ensure separation Initiate control instructions Monitor and operate radios Accept and initiate automation supported handoffs Ensure computer entries are completed on instructions or clearances you issue or receive Monitor & assure that handoff is initiated Ensure transfer of communications Tools Traffic Display Conflict Probe Short-term Conflict Alert Route and Altitude Trial Plans Air/Ground Data Link(controller-pilot data link communication, or CPDLC) Ground/Ground Data Link (controller-controller clearance coordination) Automation Supported Transfer of Communication (TOC) Voice Communication Systems 9
Airspace Operations Laboratory 10
R-side Display and Tools Trial Planning Tools Medium Term Conflict Probe 12
MSP Display and Tools Sector Load Table & Graphs Area Flow Reduced Data Blocks 13
Controller Workstation & Trail Plan Sequence 14
Airspace Traffic Patterns Albuquerque Center (ZAB) Ghost 93 127.85 Kansas City Center (ZKC) Ghost 50 135.45 Memphis Center (ZME) Wichita Falls (47) 126.3 Ardmore (48) 128.1 Decod (42) 129.0 (94) GREGS KARLA (90) BAMBE Fort Worth Center (ZFW) Ghost 75 133.25 230 15
Experimental Design Multi-D and Area Flow tested separately Prevents the possibility that an exposure to one concept affects the outcome of the other concept 2x2 Design per MSP concept Operational Configuration Baseline (advanced tools & current sector roles) MSP (either Multi-D and Area Flow) Two Disturbance Functions Weather in Sectors No Weather, Higher Traffic 16
Sector Load Balancing Multi-D Did not affect the overall traffic that traversed through the test sectors Reduced traffic complexity with traffic flow initiatives (e.g. arrivals down to FL290) Aircraft Count MD: ACOwned: Sector 48 25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Minutes msp baseline Area Flow Reduced the peak traffic levels below assigned MAPs with lateral route modifications Reduced traffic complexity with traffic flow initiatives (e.g. arrivals down to FL290) Aircraft Count AF: ACOwned: Sector 48 25.00 20.00 15.00 10.00 5.00 0.00 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Minutes msp baseline 17
Strategic Traffic Management Number of weather penetration reduced for both Multi-D and Area Flow MSP positions rerouted aircraft strategically around weather Aircraft received fewer tactical maneuvers (via verbal vectors/altitude changes) in Area Flow condition Late conflict resolutions (<5min) reduced in high traffic/no weather scenarios for Multi-D Total Number of Weather Penetrations Number of Late Conflict Resolutions (< 5min) 80 60 40 20 0 20 15 10 5 0 62 14 12 13 Weather / Mod Traffic Multi-D 41 Multi-D Baseline Baseline 2 NoWx / High Traffic MSP MSP Concept 11 13 MSP 8 Weather / Mod Traffic 4 Area Flow 8 Area Flow 4 NoWx / High Traffic 18
Delay in ETA Scenarios MSP Condition Baseline MSP Baseline Multi-D Weather High Traffic 68.4 40.9 100.4 20.6-32.0* 20.3 Wx, p < 0.07 Scenarios MSP Condition Baseline MSP - Baseline Area Flow Weather High Traffic 97.3 56.3 97.2 39.5 0.1 16.7* High Traffic, p < 0.03 19
Average Number of Coordination Average number of Coordinations Number of Coordinations 25 20 15 10 5 0 18.5 15.5 10.5 9 8.5 7.5 Base D Ghost MD MD Wx NoWx Controller Average number of coordinations Number of coordinations 25 20 15 10 5 0 21.5 14.75 14.5 14.5 12.5 3.5 Base D Ghost AF AF Controller Wx NoWx 20
Workload Distribution Multi-D Area Flow Multi-D R-sides in Multi-D runs Area Flow R-sides in Area Flow runs Workload Ratings (1-7) 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Workload Ratings (1-7) 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Minutes Minutes D-sides in Baseline runs R-sides in Baseline runs D-sides in Baseline runs R-sides in Baseline runs Workload Ratings (1-7) 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Minutes Workload Ratings (1-7) 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Minutes Better workload balance between R and MSP (both Multi-D and Area Flow) than between R and D. 21
WAK Load Estimates: Multi-D-Side Comparison of Multi-D and D WAKS ratings with no weather, scenario 1 7 WAKs workload rating 6 5 4 3 2 1 MSP run (MD) baseline run (MD) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 prompt number 22
WAK Load Estimates: Area Flow D Comparison of WAKS ratings for AF and D-side positions, under scenario 2 with no weather 4 3 3 WAKS rating 2 2 1 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 MSP run (AF) prompt number baseline run (D) 23
Situation Awareness Multi-D rated ability to maintain situation awareness as difficult Area Flow rated ability to maintain required situation awareness as difficult in traditional sense- but indicated no requirement to have that level of awareness 24
Discussion Strategic Vs. Tactical Control: traffic was managed more strategically in the MSP operations.. More aircraft successfully avoided weather cells for both AF and MD operations compared to baseline. Controllers resorted to fewer tactical maneuvers (defined as last-minute verbal clearances) in weather scenarios under the AF operations compared to baseline. Controllers resolved conflicts earlier in no weather/high traffic situation with the help of a Multi-D operator. Under weather scenarios, AF operations resulted in no delays compared to baseline while aircraft in MD operations resulted in ETAs that were earlier than those in baseline operations. Voice Communication was reduced in the AF condition AF concept was determined to be more consistent with a strategic traffic flow process 25
Discussion Efficiency: Controllers rated MSP concepts as more efficient than standard operations Operational Measures suggest slight efficiency gains Workload: Workload was more evenly distributed in the both MSP conditions Coordination Coordination was found more effective in the AF condition Different MSP AF role reduced coordination issues Coordination with external adjacent MSP areas and Traffic Management will need to be explored 26
Constraints What was achieved Multiple high altitude sector interactions Complex traffic and weather scenarios Credible R/D interactions and credible R/MSP interactions What was not investigated Credible MSP/MSP interactions Actual role for TMU Any MSP/TMC interactions Concept evaluation at a larger scope at NAS level? Command center involvement? 27
Future Directions Area Flow Operations: Provide a more consistent path for future development aligned with Operational Evolution Plan (OEP) and NextGen development. Change of roles to a planner, and the strategy of reduction of possible conflicts to reduce reliance on tactical response from the D-side provides for a clearer interaction and authority process for the controllers. Area Flow operations allows for a more flexible control station configuration as the Area Flow operations did not require the Area Flow to be physically co-located with the Radar-controllers in the operations. 28