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Multi-objective Goal Programming for Low Altitude Seat Ejections with Fuzzy Logic–Based Decision-making

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Abstract

Aircraft seat ejection systems are essential lifesaving equipment for pilots. Although seat ejections have improved in terms of success rates over the past few decades, ejections at low altitudes (below 150 m) remain a serious concern. These are time critical events and demand optimal process parameters to improve the odds of successful ejection due to the lack of lifesaving height and various other factors. The study optimizes impulse applied and the angle of ejection of the pilot with a novel Multi-Objective optimization approach to minimize Dynamic Response Index (DRI, used to quantify spinal injury) and to maximize the ejection height. The Pareto-optimal solutions are obtained thereof for different scenarios of aircraft flight. A fuzzy logic system is used to handle the uncertainties due to the objective functions under different ejection scenarios of the aircraft; it is used as a decision-maker to choose the initial parameters for goal programming based on the severity of the ejection scenarios. The results were compared with ideal solutions obtained from Pareto fronts using the same fuzzy logic system as decision-maker. The goal programming gave similar results at a quicker time making it advantageous over the conventional “generate first choose later” methods.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Machine Design Section IIT Madras, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 600036, India

    R. Naveen Raj & K. Shankar

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  1. R. Naveen Raj
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  2. K. Shankar
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Correspondence to K. Shankar.

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Raj, R.N., Shankar, K. Multi-objective Goal Programming for Low Altitude Seat Ejections with Fuzzy Logic–Based Decision-making. Hum Factors Mech Eng Def Saf 4, 6 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41314-019-0031-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41314-019-0031-7

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