Sensitivity Analysis of Aerial Wildfire Fighting Tactics with Heterogeneous Fleets Using an Agent Based Simulation Framework

Abstract

The increase in the average temperature of the global surface temperature caused longer wildfire seasons, which have caused more severe and frequent incidents, resulting in higher expenses, unrecoverable losses and civilian casualties. Moreover, the increased number of wildfires has contributed to higher levels of carbon in the atmosphere, further exacerbating global warming. Fighting wildfires is a complex phenomenon that requires various resources, and the System of Systems (SoS) approach can be leveraged to analyze the problem. This study utilizes an SoS simulation framework to model wildfire suppression missions, focusing on a mixed fleet composition of suppression drones with different characteristics such as airframe configurations, payload capacity, flight velocity, and powertrain architectures. The study evaluates multiple suppression tactics, considering factors such as fleet composition, available agents, and resources. The results of the analysis show the impact of various environmental parameters on fire growth and provide a rigorous sensitivity analysis for wildfire containment use cases. The use of the SoS framework helps to reveal nuanced patterns at the SoS level, which can aid in the development of new solutions for wildfire fighting. This study highlights the importance of considering the complexities of the problem and the need for innovative approaches to combat wildfires effectively.