Project To Test 4-Dimensional Collision Avoidance System

The Lindbergh Foundation told ANN this week Dr. William Knecht of Maneuver Space Technologies of Pocasset, OK has been awarded a 2007 Lindbergh Grant for his project entitled, "Reducing Upper Atmospheric Fuel Burn through Direct Routing Air Traffic Technology."

Energy use and climate change are global concerns. Aircraft exacerbate both by converting fuel to greenhouse gasses in the upper atmosphere precisely where they exert disproportionately large effects on climate. Worldwide, aircraft produce over 600 million tons of CO2 per year, with passenger traffic projected to increase by about 5% per year.

The most straightforward way to save fuel and reduce emissions is to fly shortest-distance, direct routes. However, commercial aircraft follow segmented jetways, effectively adding up to 12% distance to each flight.

For this project, Dr. Knecht will test 4CAS, a 4-dimensional collision avoidance system based on aircraft heading, speed, altitude, and available maneuver time. 4CAS makes optimal maneuvers graphically prominent to the air traffic controller or pilot, despite dense air traffic. The information representation can be extended to include weather, terrain, and special-use airspace, and is compatible with either manual or automatic collision avoidance systems (auto-CAS).

The goal of this project is to change the way maneuver information is represented to enable safe, efficient, easy, and rapid aircraft maneuvers during direct routing. Reducing aviation fuel consumption, flight duration, and engine operation time benefits not only the global environment, but passengers and airlines as well.

Dr. Knecht received one of 14 Lindbergh grants awarded so far this year, the most grants issued by the Foundation since 1985. He was chosen from 150 applicants from around the world. Lindbergh Grants are made in amounts up to $10,580, a symbolic amount representing the cost of building Charles Lindbergh’s plane, the Spirit of St. Louis, in 1927. To date, more than $2.7 million has been awarded to 284 researchers. Richard and Susan Kane sponsored this aviation project.

The Lindbergh Grants program enjoys an excellent reputation among the scientific community and the public sector for supporting exceptional, high-quality projects and dedicated researchers.

"Our grants program helps put ideas on the move thanks to our investment in people," said Clare Hallward, Chairman of the Lindbergh Foundation Grant Selection Committee. "Our grants enable dreams to be realized for people who see a better way of doing things. Their projects explore technological and ecological solutions that are both practical and visionary."

Lindbergh grants support innovative ideas often at an early stage in their development, young researchers, and provide dollars to establish pilot projects. Applicants undergo a rigorous five-step review process focused on evaluations by two independent all volunteer review groups, including a 65-member Technical Review Panel. This international panel is comprised of knowledgeable and respected individuals drawn from the various fields in which Lindbergh grants are made.

"Because of the standards employed by the Foundation’s grants program, it has earned international credibility, which enables many Lindbergh grant recipients to secure additional funding to continue their important work, making it a highly sought-after award," said Hallward.

FMI: www.lindberghfoundation.org, www.maneuverspacetechnologies.org