Date of Award
3-22-2019
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Computer Engineering
Department
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
First Advisor
Laurence D. Merkle, PhD
Abstract
Fuel is a significant expense for the Air Force. The C-17 Globemaster eet accounts for a significant portion. Estimating the range of an aircraft based on its fuel consumption is nearly as old as flight itself. Consideration of operational energy and the related consideration of fuel efficiency is increasing. Meanwhile machine learning and data-mining techniques are on the rise. The old question, "How far can my aircraft y with a given load cargo and fuel?" has given way to "How little fuel can I load into an aircraft and safely arrive at the destination?" Specific range is a measure of efficiency that is fundamental in answering both questions, old and new. Predicting efficiency and consumption is key to decreasing unnecessary aircraft weight. Less weight means more efficient flight and less fuel consumption. Machine learning techniques were applied to flight recorder data to make fuel consumption predictions. Accurate predictions afford smaller fuel reserves, less weight, more efficient flight, and less fuel consumed overall. The accuracy of these techniques were compared and illustrated. A plan to incorporate these and other modeling techniques is proposed to realize immediate fuel cost savings and increase savings over time.
AFIT Designator
AFIT-ENG-MS-19-M-016
DTIC Accession Number
AD1074737
Recommended Citation
Catchpole, Marcus, "Machine Learning Models of C-17 Specific Range Using Flight Recorder Data" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 2250.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/2250