A TANDEM-QUEUE ALGORITHM FOR EVALUATING OVERALL AIRPORT CAPACITY. RESEARCH REPORT

Development is given for an analytical model of an airport system that can be used to evaluate overall airport capacity. Capacity is defined as the maximum flow-rate that can be imposed on airports without violating user-specified, level-of-service criteria for airport components. A deterministic queueing algorithm is presented. The approach ties individual component models together and relates input to one component and output from preceding components. Arrival patterns at airport boundaries are carried all the way through the airport; adjustments are made for delays and patterns are shifted according to service times and configuration of individual components. Successive components are treated as tandem queues. Special treatment is given to pairs of successive components between which there are ancillary activities which tend to randomize the translation of flow. For this case, input to a component is expressed as a function of output of preceding components and an estimated probability and dwelling time associated with joining intervening activities. To define these probabilities and expected dwell times, data were collected on the use of ancillary activities between major airports components; data collection technique is called the "flash-card method." Model estimates of total dwell time at a set of ancillary activities are compared with measured total dwell times; close agreement was found. The overall algorithm is intended for estimating component level of service measures. Those measures are then evaluated by the user of the model. /Author/

• Corporate Authors:

  University of Texas, Austin

  Council for Advanced Transportation Studies
  Austin, TX  United States  78712
• Authors:
  • Park, C H
  • Dunlay Jr, W J
• Publication Date: 1977-2

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References;
• Pagination: 177 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Airport capacity; Algorithms; Analysis; Flow; Queuing theory
• Uncontrolled Terms: Analytical methods; Flow rate
• Old TRIS Terms: Queueing models
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00173699
• Record Type: Publication
• Contract Numbers: DOT-OS-50232
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 14 1978 12:00AM