An Analysis of Radio Frequency Surveillance Systems for Air Traffic Control. Volume I. Text

Abstract

Performance criteria that afford quantitative evaluation of a variety of current and proposed configurations of the Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) are described in detail. Two analytic system models are developed to allow application of these performance criteria. A simple system model, based on the assumption of a flat earth, enables closed-form analytic expressions for some of the performance criteria to be developed for a wide range of desired areas of coverage. An extremely accurate complex system model provides a tool for simulation of operating characteristics that would be observed in the course of actual flight tests. The complex model includes a new solution for the grazing angle of radiation over a spherical earth that is shown to be more accurate than the commonly-used solution of Fishback. Applications and limitations of both models in the evaluation of four new ATCRBS antennas and of the proposed receiver side-lobe suppression feature are discussed. Both numerical results and a computer-generated representation of an air traffic controller's display are presented. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 1976
Accession Number
ADA023503

Entities

People

  • Louis A. Kleiman

Organizations

  • John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Air Traffic
  • Air Traffic Control Radar
  • Air Traffic Control Systems
  • Air Traffic Controllers
  • Airborne Warning And Control System
  • Aircrafts
  • Airport Radar Systems
  • Airports
  • Antenna Radiation Patterns
  • Control Systems
  • Earth Models
  • Geometry
  • Military Aircraft
  • Radar
  • Radar Beacons
  • United States

Readers

  • Aviation Safety and Air Traffic Management
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Electromagnetic Wave Scattering and Antenna Radiation Engineering