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Visual Guidance

Visual Guidance. Research and Development. Presented to: 32nd Annual Eastern Region Airport Conference By: Donald Gallagher, Program Manager & Renee Williams, Project Manager Date: March 4, 2009. Airport Safety Technology R&D. Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program

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Visual Guidance

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  1. Visual Guidance Research and Development Presented to: 32nd Annual Eastern Region Airport Conference By: Donald Gallagher, Program Manager & Renee Williams, Project Manager Date: March 4, 2009

  2. Airport Safety Technology R&D Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Program Hazards Management, Bird Detection Radar Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting Program (ARFF) Agents, Vehicles New Large Aircraft Program (NLA) Airport Issues Concerning NLA Airport Design Program Airport Design Airport Planning Program Terminal Design Guidelines, Multimodal Access Airport Surface Operations Program Runway Friction, Soft Ground Arrestor System, Runway Deicing Visual Guidance Program Lighting, Marking, Signing

  3. Visual Guidance • Lighting • Signs • Markings

  4. Visual Guidance LED Implementation Issues

  5. Lighting Technologies • Light Emitting Diodes (LED) • Standard Incandescent lights have been around for over 60 years. • LEDs while not new, have finally achieved intensity levels to be considered for use on airports. • NOT just another “light bulb” that can plug and play!

  6. Issues with Implementing LED Technology ICAO Visual Aids Working Group formed a Sub-Group on LED implementation on Aerodromes • Rapporteur: Alvin Logan Airport Safety Technology R&D hosted first meeting at the FAA Technical Center in April 2006. Sub-Group identified 11 issues to be resolved.

  7. Lighting Technologies • FAA LED Working Group: • Consolidated into 8 Issues concerning the adoption of LED for use on Aerodromes.

  8. Issues with Implementing LED Technology Consolidated to 8 issues: • How will this technology interact if interspersed with standard incandescent lights? • How will this technology interact with present airport systems? • What are the impacts of intensity changes with LEDs? • Does the “narrow spectral band” of LED impact pilots with certain types of color deficient vision? • What is the impact of the reduced heat signature on the lens of LED fixtures with respect to lens contamination due to environmental conditions? • Can LEDs be seen on an enhanced vision display? • Are current photometric tests for incandescent lights valid for LEDs? • How is the operational failure of LED fixtures identified?

  9. Phasing out Incandescent Lamps • The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 • Begins to phases out incandescent and halogen incandescent lamps in 2012 • Department of Energy (DOE) within five years is mandated tocreate an LED replacement for the PAR Type 38 halogen light • Probably will not be compatible with MALSR voltage levels The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is available at:http://energy.senate.gov/public/_files/RL342941.pdf

  10. Issues with Implementing LED Technology Today’s Topic • How will this technology interact if interspersed with standard incandescent lights? • How will this technology interact with present airport systems? • What are the impacts of intensity changes with LEDs? • Does the “narrow spectral band” of LED impact pilots with certain types of color deficient vision? • What is the impact of the reduced heat signature on the lens of LED fixtures with respect to lens contamination due to environmental conditions? • Can LEDs be seen on an enhanced vision display? • Are current photometric tests for incandescent lights valid for LEDs? • How is the operational failure of LED fixtures identified?

  11. Some Issues with Implementing LED Technology Incandescent lamps generally produce energy as a small amount of light and a large amount of heat (IR). LEDs being a more efficient light source, produce more light compared to very little IR and not nearly enough to be detected by the EFVS systems currently certified.

  12. Some Issues with Implementing LED Technology Enhanced Flight Vision systems (EFVS) utilize the wasted energy in the form of IR generated by current incandescent lamps. Enables incandescentsignal lights to be detected at further distances than is possible by the unaided eye under certain weather conditions such as fog and snow. Utilizing these systems, aircraft so equipped, may see the required cues (Approach Lights) to continue their approach at CAT I DH (200ft) when these lights arenot visible tothehuman eye down to 100ft. • This can potentially increase capacity at some airports.

  13. LED/IR Research Projects • Airport Safety Technology R&D (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Lighting Research Center (LRC)) • Lighting Systems Group (Lighting Innovations Corp. (LIC)) • Asked them to Consider: • IR Spectral Ranges • Atmospheric Effects (1.3 - 1.8 Microns and 3.4 - 4.2 Microns) • Sensor Sensitivity • Incandescent vs. LED Signal Lights • Solid state and low power IR Emitters • Laser Diodes • Photonic Crystals • Kanthal Filaments

  14. Infrared Devices • Laser Diodes ~$45 per device, minimum 5 per fixture • 1.3 – 1.5 Microns • Monochromatic – May need several different wavelengths to provide adequate energy. • Available in milliwatts to tens of watts. • Higher wattage devices may need cooling. • Narrow beam. • Need several in an array. • Lensing and diffusing is needed. • Photonic Crystals ~$120 per device, minimum 8 per fixture • 3 – 5 Microns and 8 – 12 Microns • Available in milliwatts. • Need an array to provide necessary output. • Lensing is needed. • Kanthal Filaments ~$90 per device, minimum 5 per fixture • Broadband sources centered near 2.4 Microns • Available in milliwatts. • Need several in an array. • Lensing is needed.

  15. LED/IR Research Projects • Conclusions • No solid state IRsources can replicate the IR produced by an incandescent lamp. • EFVS camera sensitivity does not match theavailable solid state IR emitters. • Increasing IR output negates cost benefit of LED Lamps. • Decreases LED fixture reliability. • Increase power consumption.

  16. EFVS Systems Approach • IR has never been a requirement for the lighting systems used to provide visual cues during for approach and maneuvering on the airport surface after landing. • IR is currently a requirement for the EFVSoperations. • EFVSConcept of Operations should include all of the Runway Environment. • Incorporate all Airport and Approach Lighting into the Systems Approach.

  17. Recommended Action • Determine the minimum performance for EFVS with respect to IR requirements. • Work with the EFVS manufacturers to flight test an IR based system that is independent of the visual system at the William J. Hughes Technical Center. • Include Aircraft equipment, as well as, ground based IR emitterrequirements in a EFVS Advisory Circular. • Work with industry to develop other types of sensors not requiring IR.

  18. May not need emitters at every light position Runway Lighting Possible Configuration IR Emitters only FAA MALSR Lighting System

  19. Electrical Infrastructure Research Team (EIRT) A team of FAA and Industry experts formed to design an Airport Lighting Infrastructure to take full advantage of new lighting technologies.

  20. Electrical Infrastructure Research Team (EIRT) Goals • A system that promotes interoperability. • Reduced life cycle cost without dependence upon a single source. • A standards-based, robust architecture airfield lighting system.

  21. Electrical Infrastructure Research Team (EIRT) • Held 4TH meeting in Atlantic City Nov. 2008. • Circuits considered so far: • 450 V, AC Parallel Circuit • 1.4 Amp, DC Series Circuit • 2.8 Amp, AC Series Circuit • PWM, DC Series Circuit

  22. Elevated Runway Guard Lights Renee Williams

  23. ELEVATED RUNWAY GUARD LIGHT • Most major airports implement Runway Guard Lights. • As a supplemental device used in conjunction with hold position markings and signs. • Due to operations under low visibility conditions • Hard-wired Runway Guard Lights • Require Infrastructure • What about General Aviation (GA) airports?

  24. Elevated Runway Guard Lights • General Aviation Airports • “Hot Spots” • Pilots and drivers crossing the active runway unauthorized creating a runway incursion. • Problem with implementing Runway Guard lights is cost • New Technology

  25. Elevated Runway Guard Light • A prototype Solar-powered light emitting diode (LED) runway guard light unit was developed. • FAA’s L-804 Lamp Housing • Solar Panel • Initial evaluations were implemented at the Tech Center • 24/7 Testing • Different climate conditions • Field Testing • Dupage Airport, Chicago Installed May 2008 • Provo Airport, Provo, UT Installed May 2008

  26. Dupage Airport Installation

  27. Dupage Airport Installation

  28. Dupage Airport Installation

  29. Provo Airport Installation

  30. Elevated Runway Guard Light • NEXT STEP • Collect pilot data (Surveys) • Monitor systems at both airports • Evaluation completed June 2009

  31. Minimum intensity for Incandescent Runway Guard Lights (RGL) • Prior to 1996, the minimum luminous intensity requirement was 600 cd • Increased to 3000 cd based on results from 1996 study • Flash rate was also increased from 30 cycles per minute to 45-50 cycles per minute • Study looked at 30, 48 & 60 flashes per minute

  32. Elevated Runway Guard Light Evaluation (ERGL) • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – Lighting Research Center Study • Laboratory study completed 6/08. • Scope: • Min. intensityfor Incandescent Lamps and LEDs • Recommendations forflash frequency for LEDsystem • Recommendations forduty cycle for LEDsystem • Impact ofwaveform profile shape for LEDsystem

  33. Incandescent specifications • Constant-current • 6.6 A (100%) • 5.5 A (30%) • 4.8 A (10%) • Weather • Clear day • Clear night • Fog • Cat I: 2400 RVR to 1800 RVR • Cat II: 1800 RVR to 1200 RVR • Cat IIIa: 1200 RVR to 700 RVR • Cat IIIb: 700 RVR to 300 RVR 100 W (PK30D) quartz halogen lamps AC 150/5345-46C (2006)

  34. Duty Cycle More Conspicuous Area of Interest Intensity Flash Rate Reference Incandescent RGL Waveform Shape Experimental protocol Identifiable as an RGL

  35. Experimental outline • Phase 1 – Identify minimum luminous intensity for incandescent RGL across all ambient conditions • Phase 2 – Determine the optimum level for each variable (frequency, duty cycle, waveform, ambient condition) • Phase 3 – Apply decreasing levels of intensityfor eachpromising combination of variables at each ambient condition

  36. Experimental set-up 40:1 scaled apparatus Based on using single 5mm LED to be equivalent to an 8-inch signal Pilot eye height: 28 ft → 8.4 in Viewing distance: 158 ft → 47.5 in Taxiway width: 100 ft → 30 in RGL from taxiway edge: 17 ft → 5.1 in

  37. Test Apparatus Subject view Foggy day setup

  38. Subject characterization • Ten subjects for each trial • Subject pool was fairly consistent across all trials • Age range: 22 – 62 • Visual acuity (binocular)Avg: 20/25 Minimum: 20/50 • All subjects demonstrated normal color vision n=8 n=2

  39. Technology-neutral specification • Results indicate thatsquare waveformismore conspicuousthan triangle or incandescent waveform • Intensity requiredwill bebased oncombination of other factors(e.g., duty cycle and frequency combination) • LEDscan be“tuned” to offer these effective combinations(and energy savings) but other technologies may evolve to offer the sameeffectiveness

  40. Findings • It isnot recommendedthat the currentincandescent-based ERGL specificationbe changed. • LEDERGL intensities could bereduced.

  41. Recommendations • These values can be obtained by a combination of a selecting asquare wavesignal,flash rate, andon-time percentage. • The best flash rates & on-time percentages were: 1.25 Hz@ 70%or2.50 Hz@30%

  42. Moving Forward Field study is needed to validate results before final recommendations are made.

  43. Vertical Flight Renee Williams

  44. Vertical Flight • BACKGROUND • Operations at heliports have increased substantially with the increase in Point-in-Space approaches to heliports. • The full benefits of operations to heliports can only be achieved if definitive guidance is provided on the issue of heliport visual cues. • Currently the Advisory Circular for Heliport is deficient in defining visual cues.

  45. Vertical Flight • AC 150/5390-2B Heliport Design Guide

  46. Vertical Flight • Deficiencies • Standard for Perimeter Lights • The Heliport Design Guide States • “Flush green lights should define the TLOF perimeter” • “Green lights should define the perimeter of the load bearing FATO” • Doesn’t specify type of Fixture

  47. Vertical Flight • Develop improved specifications for Heliport Visual Aids to incorporate into the Heliport Design Guide • Refurbish current facility • Replace “Vertiport” with two “Heliports” • STANDARD “Heliport” Completed • Experimental “Heliport” Completed

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