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At least 145 records · Page 8

Energy-Aware Route Planning with RouteE Compass

This poster introduces RouteE Compass, a new tool that advances sustainable transportation by enabling energy-aware route planning across diverse vehicle types and large-scale road networks. By addressing practical trade-offs between energy consumption, travel time, and economic cost, RouteE Compass fills critical gaps in traditional routing methods, which often lack the flexibility to prioritize energy directly. The tool's scalability and high-performance computing capabilities allow for national-scale analyses, offering actionable insights for fleet operators, transit agencies, and researchers. As an open-source, extensible platform, RouteE Compass empowers ongoing research and innovation in energy-aware routing, supporting the broader goals of reducing emissions and enhancing transportation sustainability.

ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS,DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSI↗

A real-time energy and cost efficient vehicle route assignment neural recommender system

Here, this paper presents a neural network recommender system algorithm for assigning vehicles to routes based on energy and cost criteria. In this work, we applied this new approach to efficiently identify the most cost-effective medium and heavy duty truck (MDHDT) powertrain technology, from a total cost of ownership (TCO) perspective, for given trips. We employ a machine learning based approach to efficiently estimate the energy consumption of various candidate vehicles over given routes, defined as sequences of links (road segments), with little information known about internal dynamics, i.e. using high level macroscopic route information. A complete recommendation logic is then developed to allow for real-time optimum assignment for each route, subject to the operational constraints of the fleet. We show how this framework can be used to (1) efficiently provide a single trip recommendation with a top-k vehicles star ranking system, and (2) engage in more general assignment problems where n vehicles need to be deployed over m (m ≤ n) trips. This new assignment system has been deployed and integrated into the POLARIS. Transportation System Simulation Tool for use in research conducted by the Department of Energy's Systems and Modeling for Accelerated Research in Transportation (SMART) Mobility Consortium (SMART, 2024).

Energy consumption↗

Quantum routing with teleportation

We study the problem of implementing arbitrary permutations of qubits under interaction constraints in quantum systems that allow for arbitrarily fast local operations and classical communication (LOCC). In particular, we show examples of speedups over swap-based and more general unitary routing methods by distributing entanglement and using LOCC to perform quantum teleportation. We further describe an example of an interaction graph for which teleportation gives a logarithmic speedup in the worst-case routing time over swap-based routing. We also study limits on the speedup afforded by quantum teleportation—showing an O ( N log N ) upper bound on the separation in routing time for any interaction graph—and give tighter bounds for some common classes of graphs. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Devulapalli, Dhruv (ORCID:000000022612308X)↗

Integrated Routing and Traffic Signal Control for CAVs via Reinforcement Learning Approach

Incorporating Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) into urban traffic networks presents opportunities and challenges for traffic management systems. This paper aims to develop an integrated routing and traffic signal control system designed explicitly for CAVs, utilizing a Reinforcement Learning (RL) approach. The objective is to enhance traffic flow and improve overall transportation efficiency in the controlled areas. We propose an innovative framework that employs the Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) algorithm, especially the Deep Q-network (DQN), to dynamically adjust the number of vehicles in the routes and the duration of traffic signals. Our simulation results demonstrate that a DQN agent successfully optimizes the number of vehicles in the routes and traffic signal timings of traffic signal controllers, eventually reducing total travel time. The study illustrates the potential usage of RL-based systems in managing routing and traffic signals for CAVs, offering a promising opportunity for future urban traffic management strategies.

Park, Jiho [New York University]↗

PDPTW-DB: MILP-Based Offline Route Planning for PDPTW with Driver Breaks

The Pickup and Delivery Problem with Time Windows (PDPTW) involves optimizing routes for vehicles to meet pickup and delivery requests within specific time constraints, a challenge commonly faced in logistics and transportation. Microtransit, a flexible and demand-responsive service using smaller vehicles within defined zones, can be effectively modeled as a PDPTW. Yet, the need for driver breaks—a key human constraint—is frequently overlooked in PDPTW solutions, despite being necessary for regulatory compliance. This study presents a novel mixed-integer linear programming formulation for the Pickup and Delivery Problem with Time Windows and Driver Breaks (PDPTW-DB). To the best of our knowledge this formulation is the first to consider mandatory periodic driver breaks within optimized Microtransit routes. The proposed model incorporates regulatory compliant break scheduling directly within the vehicle routing optimization framework. By considering driver break requirements as an integral component of the optimization process, rather than as a post-processing step, the model enables the generation of routes that respect hours of service regulations while minimizing operational costs. This integrated approach facilitates the generation of schedules that are operationally efficient and prioritize driver welfare through driver breaks. We work with a public transit agency from the southern USA, and highlight the specific nuances of driver break optimization, and present a Pickup and Delivery Problem with Time Windows formulation for optimizing Microtransit operations and scheduling driver breaks. We validate our approach using real-world data from the transit agency. Our results validate our formulation in producing cost-effective, and regulation-compliant solutions.

Applied Computing, Transportation↗

An investigation of TNAV equipped aircraft in a simulated en route metering environment

This document presents the results of an effort to estimate how often a TNAV (Time Navigation) equipped aircraft could be given a TNAV clearance in the En Route Metering (ERM) system as a function of the percentage of arriving traffic which is TNAV equipped. A fast-time simulation of Denver Stapleton international arrival traffic in the Denver Air Route Traffic Control Center route structure, including en route metering operations, was used to develop data on estimated conflicts, clearance communications and fuel usage for traffic mixes of 25, 50, 75 and 100% TNAV equipped. This study supports an overall effort by NASA to assess the benefits and required technology for using TNAV-equipped aircraft in the ERM environment.

Groce, J. L.↗

The effect of model uncertainty on some optimal routing problems

The effect of model uncertainties on optimal routing in a system of parallel queues is examined. The uncertainty arises in modeling the service time distribution for the customers (jobs, packets) to be served. For a Poisson arrival process and Bernoulli routing, the optimal mean system delay generally depends on the variance of this distribution. However, as the input traffic load approaches the system capacity the optimal routing assignment and corresponding mean system delay are shown to converge to a variance-invariant point. The implications of these results are examined in the context of gradient-based routing algorithms. An example of a model-independent algorithm using online gradient estimation is also included.

Mohanty, Bibhu↗

Traffic routing for multicomputer networks with virtual cut-through capability

Consideration is given to the problem of selecting routes for interprocess communication in a network with virtual cut-through capability, while balancing the network load and minimizing the number of times that a message gets buffered. An approach is proposed that formulates the route selection problem as a minimization problem with a link cost function that depends upon the traffic through the link. The form of this cost function is derived using the probability of establishing a virtual cut-through route. The route selection problem is shown to be NP-hard, and an algorithm is developed to incrementally reduce the cost by rerouting the traffic. The performance of this algorithm is exemplified by two network topologies: the hypercube and the C-wrapped hexagonal mesh.

Kandlur, Dilip D.↗

A System Concept for Facilitating User Preferences in En Route Airspace

The Federal Aviation Administration is trying to make its air traffic management system more responsive to the needs of the aviation community by exploring the concept of 'free flight' for aircraft flying under instrument flight rules. A logical first step toward free flight could be made without significantly altering current air traffic control (ATC) procedures or requiring new airborne equipment by designing a ground-based system to be highly responsive to 'user preference' in en route airspace while providing for an orderly transition to the terminal area. To facilitate user preference in all en route environments, a system based on an extension of the Center/TRACON Automation System (CTAS) is proposed in this document. The new system would consist of two integrated components. An airspace tool (AT) focuses on unconstrained en route aircraft (e.g., not transitioning to the terminal airspace), taking advantage of the relatively unconstrained nature of their flights and using long-range trajectory prediction to provide cost-effective conflict resolution advisories to sector controllers. A sector tool (ST) generates efficient advisories for all aircraft, with a focus on supporting controllers in analyzing and resolving complex, highly constrained traffic situations. When combined, the integrated AT/ST system supports user preference in any air route traffic control center sector. The system should also be useful in evaluating advanced free-flight concepts by serving as a test bed for future research. This document provides an overview of the design concept, explains its anticipated benefits, and recommends a development strategy that leads to a deployable system.

Vivona, R. A.↗

Analysis of Acceleration, Airspeed, and Gust-Velocity Data From a Four-Engine Transport Airplane Operating Over a Northwestern United States Alaska Route

Acceleration, airspeed, and altitude data obtained with an NACA VGH recorder from a four-engine commercial transport airplane operating over a northwestern United States-Alaska route were evaluated to determine the magnitude and frequency of occurrence of gust and maneuver accelerations., operating airspeeds, and gust velocities. The results obtained were then compared with the results previously reported in NACA Technical Note 3475 for two similar airplanes operating over transcontinental routes in the United States. No large variations in the gust experience for the three operations were noted. The results indicate that the gust-load experience of the present operation closely approximated that of the central transcontinental route in the United States with which it is compared and showed differences of about 4 to 1 when compared with that of the southern transcontinental route in the United States. In general, accelerations due to gusts occurred much more frequently than those due to operational maneuvers. At a measured normal-acceleration increment of 0.5g, accelerations due to gusts occurred roughly 35 times more frequently than those due to operational maneuvers.

Engel, Jerome N.↗

On-Board Switching and Routing Advanced Technology Study

Future satellite communications is expected to be fully integrated into National and Global Information Infrastructures (NII/GII). These infrastructures will carry multi gigabit-per-second data rates, with integral switching and routing of constituent data elements. The satellite portion of these infrastructures must, therefore, be more than pipes through the sky. The satellite portion will also be required to perform very high speed routing and switching of these data elements to enable efficient broad area coverage to many home and corporate users. The technology to achieve the on-board switching and routing must be selected and developed specifically for satellite application within the next few years. This report presents evaluation of potential technologies for on-board switching and routing applications.

Yegenoglu, F.↗

Conflict Resolution Performance in an Experimental Study of En Route Free Maneuvering Operations

NASA has developed a far-term air traffic management concept, termed Distributed Air/Ground Traffic Management (DAG-TM). One component of DAG-TM, En Route Free Maneuvering, allows properly trained flight crews of equipped autonomous aircraft to assume responsibility for separation from other autonomous aircraft and from Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) aircraft. Ground-based air traffic controllers continue to separate IFR traffic and issue flow management constraints to all aircraft. To examine En Route Free Maneuvering operations, a joint human-in-the-loop experiment was conducted in summer 2004 at the NASA Ames and Langley Research Centers. Test subject pilots used desktop flight simulators to resolve traffic conflicts and adhere to air traffic flow constraints issued by subject controllers. The experimental airspace integrated both autonomous and IFR aircraft at varying traffic densities. This paper presents a subset of the En Route Free Maneuvering experimental results, focusing on airborne and ground-based conflict resolution, and the effects of increased traffic levels on the ability of pilots and air traffic controllers to perform this task. The results show that, in general, increases in autonomous traffic do not significantly impact conflict resolution performance. In addition, pilot acceptability of autonomous operations remains high throughout the range of traffic densities studied. Together with previously reported findings, these results continue to support the feasibility of the En Route Free Maneuvering component of DAG-TM.

Doble, Nathan A.↗

Method and System For an Automated Tool for En Route Traffic Controllers

A method and system for a new automation tool for en route air traffic controllers first finds all aircraft flying on inefficient routes, then determines whether it is possible to save time by bypassing some route segments, and finally whether the improved route is free of conflicts with other aircraft. The method displays all direct-to eligible aircraft to an air traffic controller in a list sorted by highest time savings. By allowing the air traffic controller to easily identify and work with the highest pay-off aircraft, the method of the present invention contributes to a significant increase in both air traffic controller and aircraft productivity. A graphical computer interface (GUI) is used to enable the air traffic controller to send the aircraft direct to a waypoint or fix closer to the destination airport by a simple point and click action.

Heinz Erzberger↗

Method and system for an automated tool for en route traffic controllers

A method and system for a new automation tool for en route air traffic controllers first finds all aircraft flying on inefficient routes, then determines whether it is possible to save time by bypassing some route segments, and finally whether the improved route is free of conflicts with other aircraft. The method displays all direct-to eligible aircraft to an air traffic controller in a list sorted by highest time savings. By allowing the air traffic controller to easily identify and work with the highest pay-off aircraft, the method of the present invention contributes to a significant increase in both air traffic controller and aircraft productivity. A graphical computer interface (GUI) is used to enable the air traffic controller to send the aircraft direct to a waypoint or fix closer to the destination airport by a simple point and click action.

Erzberger, Heinz↗

Automated Flight Routing Using Stochastic Dynamic Programming

Airspace capacity reduction due to convective weather impedes air traffic flows and causes traffic congestion. This study presents an algorithm that reroutes flights in the presence of winds, enroute convective weather, and congested airspace based on stochastic dynamic programming. A stochastic disturbance model incorporates into the reroute design process the capacity uncertainty. A trajectory-based airspace demand model is employed for calculating current and future airspace demand. The optimal routes minimize the total expected traveling time, weather incursion, and induced congestion costs. They are compared to weather-avoidance routes calculated using deterministic dynamic programming. The stochastic reroutes have smaller deviation probability than the deterministic counterpart when both reroutes have similar total flight distance. The stochastic rerouting algorithm takes into account all convective weather fields with all severity levels while the deterministic algorithm only accounts for convective weather systems exceeding a specified level of severity. When the stochastic reroutes are compared to the actual flight routes, they have similar total flight time, and both have about 1% of travel time crossing congested enroute sectors on average. The actual flight routes induce slightly less traffic congestion than the stochastic reroutes but intercept more severe convective weather.

Ng, Hok K.↗

En Route Air Traffic Control Input Devices for the Next Generation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of different input device configurations when trial planning new routes for aircraft in an advanced simulation of the en route workstation. The task of trial planning is one of the futuristic tools that is performed by the graphical manipulation of an aircraft's trajectory to reroute the aircraft without voice communication. In this study with two input devices, the FAA's current trackball and a basic optical computer mouse were evaluated with "pick" button in a click-and-hold state and a click-and-release state while the participant dragged the trial plan line. The trial plan was used for three different conflict types: Aircraft Conflicts, Weather Conflicts, and Aircraft + Weather Conflicts. Speed and accuracy were the primary dependent variables. Results indicate that the mouse conditions were significantly faster than the trackball conditions overall with no significant loss of accuracy. Several performance ratings and preference ratings were analyzed from post-run and post-simulation questionnaires. The release conditions were significantly more useful and likable than the hold conditions. The results suggest that the mouse in the release button state was the fastest and most well liked device configuration for trial planning in the en route workstation. Keywords-input devices, en route, controller, workstation, mouse, trackball, NextGen

Mainini, Matthew J.↗

A Computer Simulation of the System-Wide Effects of Parallel-Offset Route Maneuvers

Most aircraft managed by air-traffic controllers in the National Airspace System are capable of flying parallel-offset routes. This paper presents the results of two related studies on the effects of increased use of offset routes as a conflict resolution maneuver. The first study analyzes offset routes in the context of all standard resolution types which air-traffic controllers currently use. This study shows that by utilizing parallel-offset route maneuvers, significant system-wide savings in delay due to conflict resolution of up to 30% are possible. It also shows that most offset resolutions replace horizontal-vectoring resolutions. The second study builds on the results of the first and directly compares offset resolutions and standard horizontal-vectoring maneuvers to determine that in-trail conflicts are often more efficiently resolved by offset maneuvers.

Lauderdale, Todd A.↗

Contact Graph Routing Enhancements Developed in ION for DTN

The Interplanetary Overlay Network (ION) software suite is an open-source, flight-ready implementation of networking protocols including the Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) Bundle Protocol (BP), the CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) File Delivery Protocol (CFDP), and many others including the Contact Graph Routing (CGR) DTN routing system. While DTN offers the capability to tolerate disruption and long signal propagation delays in transmission, without an appropriate routing protocol, no data can be delivered. CGR was built for space exploration networks with scheduled communication opportunities (typically based on trajectories and orbits), represented as a contact graph. Since CGR uses knowledge of future connectivity, the contact graph can grow rather large, and so efficient processing is desired. These enhancements allow CGR to scale to predicted NASA space network complexities and beyond. This software improves upon CGR by adopting an earliest-arrival-time cost metric and using the Dijkstra path selection algorithm. Moving to Dijkstra path selection also enables construction of an earliest- arrival-time tree for multicast routing. The enhancements have been rolled into ION 3.0 available on sourceforge.net.

Segui, John S.↗