Projects - NASA Wake Vortex Advisory System (WakeVAS)

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NASA Wake Vortex Advisory System (WakeVAS)

   

Problem: Quality measurements of static temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and eddy dissipation rate (EDR) for approach and departure corridors are not available for aircraft wake vortex measurement systems.  Aircraft spacing rules could be improved if systems had and used this atmospheric information.  The feasibility of aircraft collecting weather information during approach and departure has not been accomplished, evaluated, or quantified.

  

Depiction of Regions of Interest at Airfields

Approach: AeroTech developed an on-board algorithm that collects data on four key meteorological parameters (static temperature, wind speed, wind direction, and EDR) from approaching and departing aircraft. The collected data is used to create altitude based profiles of the parameters for input into the NASA Wake Vortex Advisory System.

Accomplishments: The Aircraft Approach and Departure Atmospheric Profile Generation Algorithm and corresponding simulation have been completed and tested using NASA Research B-757-200 data collected at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) and UPS commercial quality data from UPS aircraft landing at and departing from Louisville International Airport. 

UPS Aircraft Landing - Image Courtesy of UPS
The sensitivity study and performance analysis using the UPS data indicated that the algorithm is robust and has minimal sensitivity to its control features.  The analysis also showed that an aircraft with the APGA can make quality measurements of atmospheric parameters of interest during approach and departure.

 

AeroTech Contributions: Algorithm and simulation development, data analysis.

Published Documents: NASA Contractor Report (NASA/CR-2004-213236) - "Development of an Aircraft Approach and Departure Atmospheric Profile Generation Algorithm", June 2004.

Partners: NASA, UPS
© AeroTech Research (U.S.A.), Inc.