Accession Number:

ADA183658

Title:

Optimization of a Constrained Spherical Location Problem: The Case of Single Air Craft Mid-Air Refueling.

Descriptive Note:

Technical rept.,

Corporate Author:

NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIV AT RALEIGH DEPT OF INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING

Personal Author(s):

• Yamani, Abdulrahman
• Hodgson, Thomas J.
• Martin-Vega, Louis A.

Report Date:

1987-03-01

Pagination or Media Count:

28.0

Abstract:

This paper addresses the problem of a single military transport aircraft that must carry cargo from an origin base to a destination base. Refueling is required and performed by a tanker aircraft that originates from and returns to a third base. The objective is to determine the initial fuel required by each aircraft and the location of the refueling point so as to minimize the total fuel consumed subject to restrictions on the range of the transport and the tanker. Based on U.S. Air Force data, analytical relationships are derived which allow the problem to be formulated similar to a constrained spherical Weber problem with two main differences 1 the objective function is non-linear, and 2 some of the constraints are a function of the decision variable. Spherical convexity of both the objective function and feasible region is shown and used to develop an optimal algorithm. Computational experience is given. Keywords Spheres, Position finding Logistics planning.

Descriptors:

• *REFUELING IN FLIGHT
• AIR FORCE
• AIRCRAFT
• ALGORITHMS
• CARGO
• FUELS
• LOGISTICS PLANNING
• MILITARY AIRCRAFT
• OPTIMIZATION
• POSITION FINDING
• REFUELING
• SPHERES
• TANKER AIRCRAFT
• TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT
• FUEL CONSUMPTION

Subject Categories:

• Military Aircraft Operations

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE