Aircraft

Regarded as being among the best evacuation modelling tools in the world, Professor Ed Galea's AirExodus uses complex interacting submodels to predict human performance and behaviour during emergency evacuation situations.

Galea says the software's sophistication means that people are represented as individuals displaying real human behaviour such as reactions to crew commands, heat, smoke and toxic gases generated by the fire as well as attempts to climb over seat backs.

Currently used for aircraft design and accident investigation purposes, the software's ability to run evacuation scenarios over and over again generates an envelope of evacuation performance rather than a single datum, allowing for a much comprehensive understanding of the likely performance of the aircraft.

Galea suggests an alternative methodology for use of computer modelling in aircraft evacuation certification would draw on experience of simulation in the certification of both passenger ships and buildings and would gradually phase in simulation as a complement to full-scale certification trials.

With the gaining ofconfidence, Galea argues that one day full-scale demonstrations could be scrapped, with aircraft evacuation modelling technology eventually evolving to a point where additional behavioural features common in real accidents could be built in.