Eulerian Trilogy

Three Eulerian models are implemented on a network graph model of air traffic flow. The underlying network is constructed using one year of ASDI/ETMS data. The three models are applied to high altitude traffic for a full Air Route Traffic Control Center of the National Airspace System and surrounding airspace. Simulations are carried out for a full day of data, to assess the predictive capabilities of the respective models. The models’ predictions are compared to the recorded flight data (ASDI/ETMS). Several error metrics are used to characterize the relative accuracy of the models. The efficiency of the respective models is compared in terms of computational time and memory requirements for the scenarios of interest. A discussion of the three models’ structural differences explains why one model may outperform another.