Research On Capacity Evaluation Method Of Airport Terminal Area Under Convective Weather

Given the rapid development of China’s civil aviation transportation industry,higher standards have been set for the precise management of airspace.The impact of strong convective weather is a frequently occurring phenomenon that significantly affects aviation operations.Thus,scientifically and accurately assessing the capacity of airport terminal areas under the influence of convective weather is vital for traffic management departments to develop effective traffic management measures,minimize unnecessary flight delays,and controller’s workload.This thesis comprehensively analyzes the terminal area airspace structure and convective weather characteristics,quantitatively assesses the impact of strong convective weather on the terminal area capacity,and focuses on the following main tasks:Firstly,the thesis introduces relevant concepts related to terminal area airspace structure,traffic flow features,control procedures within the terminal area,and terminal area capacity.Additionally,the impact of strong convective weather on the terminal area airspace,corridors,and primary approach/departure points are analyzed.The airport meteorological radar echo data is utilized to read the corresponding levels of dangerous weather areas.The thesis also studies the setting of convective weather avoidance zones by improving the Graham-scan algorithm.Secondly,building on the operational characteristics of the terminal area and considering factors such as the terminal area route structure,segment length,flight speed,and handover interval,a network flow model for approach/departure routes within the terminal area is established.Using this model,a theoretical capacity model for the terminal area is developed using the Max-flow min-cut theory.The cross-point capacity model is utilized to modify the terminal area capacity evaluation algorithm,thereby obtaining the revised theoretical capacity of the terminal area.Weather factors are then added to the terminal area network,and the WITI(Weather Impacted Traffic Index)and air route availability ratio are employed to determine to what extent a certain approach/departure segment is affected by weather.A capacity evaluation method for diversion routes based on controller’s workload is proposed,calculating the maximum number of aircraft that can be served by a diversion route trajectory,which becomes the new capacity for the route.The original route is then adjusted to obtain the terminal area capacity when under strong convective weather.Finally,the feasibility of the evaluation model is verified by taking the Xi’an terminal area as an example.Based on the actual situation of the area,a network flow model for approach/departure routes is established,and the theoretical capacity is calculated and modified using the cross-point capacity calculation model.The characteristics of a typical convective weather event are analyzed using airport meteorological radar echo data.Flight-restricted areas are established,and the air route availability ratio and WITI are calculated to analyze the availability and offset margin of approach/departure routes in the Xi’an terminal area.Reasonable diversion paths are suggested,and the capacity of these diversion routes is also calculated.The theoretical capacity evaluation results range from 105%-110% of the actual peak hour capacity during operations in the Xi’an terminal area.The evaluation results during strong convective weather events are consistent with the actual operational data,indicating that the model has significant guiding significance for actual control operations.