Aviation software for course-optimisation
Modern technical systems are often too complex to optimise manually, hence the task falls to a special type of software. One such product is the European We Optimize Really Huge Problems (WORHP) solver. The EU-funded AWACS (Adaption of WORHP to avionics constraints) project aimed to adapt WORHP to aviation use. Specifically, the software is intended to help pilots optimise trajectory calculations. AWACS installed a version of the programme onto a cockpit terminal. The purpose was ultimately to reduce aircraft carbon dioxide emissions. As such, the project was part of the Systems for Green Operation section of Europe's vast Clean Sky initiative. The project achieved its main objectives. Resulting modifications to WORHP satisfied all requirements, outperforming alternative systems by solving 11 of the 12 defined trajectory problems. Testing demonstrated a 60 % reduction in central processing unit time, plus a success rate of around 96 % for a standard optimisation test. Key stages towards the success were as follows. The team improved performance, whereby the solver optimises solutions using less computational time. The development allows the limited devices available to pilots to run the complex software. Other work resulted in improved robustness. The software is not disrupted by aircraft technical problems. The team also ensured that the software can be interrupted. Hence, the pilot can proceed with a suboptimal solution if time requires, without having to wait for the completed computation. Development allows the software to handle multiple, conflicting objectives such as fuel consumption and flight time. The project software permits the pilot to make appropriate trade-offs in the interests of cost effectiveness. A final stage involved validating the solver's applicability to realistic aviation problems, plus documenting the performance. AWACS helped raise acceptance of flight management software within a very conservative industry, while also reducing European dependency on American products. Both outcomes promise commercial opportunity for European business.
Keywords
Aircraft, optimiser software, pilots, WORHP, AWACS, aviation, trajectory
