The air traffic management (ATM) system is an intelligent system that integrates the ground computer network, the airborne network, and the space satellite (communication and navigation) network. It has remarkable characteristics of cyber-physical system (CPS). The development of ATM system is inseparable from the application of new technologies. This paper proposes a security framework based on blockchain for CPS in the ATM system. Through the research on the characteristics of blockchain and CPS, this paper analyzes the necessity of integrating them into the research of the ATM system, demonstrates the feasibility of combining them, and then constructs the ATMChain framework mechanism to realize the in-depth integration of blockchain and CPS in ATM. On this basis, this paper gives the overall design architecture and implementation steps of the scheme. In addition, this paper also makes a series of analysis and demonstration from the perspective of scheme security. The research scheme will help to improve the security, reliability, and scalability of ATM services and provide a new reference for establishing a more security and efficient ATM system.

the air traffic management (ATM) system is a comprehensive information-based intelligent system that provides seamless services and dynamic integrated management of air traffic and airspace through the cooperation of all relevant parties in civil aviation. The ATM adopts an integrated “space-air-ground” network structure to provide reliable services for the security and efficiency of civil aviation flights, which is an important infrastructure to support and guarantee civil aviation transportation and an important support point for the development of civil aviation as a whole. The composition of the ATM is wide and complex, and contains many business systems and user types. In the face of the increasingly serious information security threats, the business collaboration of ATM and the shared use of ATM data are subject to certain restrictions and challenges. According to the Aviation Network Security Strategy released by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in 2019, there is an urgent need to research the basic theories, core methods and key technologies for ATM information security assurance that are compatible with the characteristics of ATM composition and information security assurance needs. From the core research objective of ATM information security assurance, this paper designs a future ATM security architecture based on blockchain technology, referred to as ATMChain, to meet the real operational needs of ATM trustworthiness, security and availability. ATMChain takes ATM trustworthy services as the core and builds an ATM information security base with “endogenous security” features. Then, three security function modules, namely, trusted authentication, data sharing, and access control, are designed to realize the 4A (Authentication, Account, Audit, Authorization) security functions of ATM. Finally, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis and performance evaluation of ATMChain security architecture. The results show that the research in this paper will help solve the current bottlenecks in ATM information security assurance, promote technological innovation, and ultimately facilitate the realization of the vision of global ATM interoperability proposed by ICAO.

With the continuous expansion of air traffic flow, the increasingly serious aviation network security threats have a significant and far-reaching impact on the safe operation of the aviation industry. The networked air traffic management (ATM) system is an integrated space–air–ground network integrating communication, network, satellite, and data chain technology, which adopts a network-centric structure to provide network-enabled services and applications for the air transportation system. In view of the serious network threats faced by networked ATM, this paper studies the basic theories and key technologies of ATM information security assurance and designs a credible security architecture to provide comprehensive and systematic security assurance for networked ATM. Starting from the problems and development trend of ATM security assurance, this paper investigates the dynamic and complex data processing process of ATM system, analyzes the complex interaction between its cyber and physical system, and then constructs the networked ATM cyber–physical fusion system model and threat model. Furthermore, the causal relationship between ATM security threat alert information is mapped into a Bayesian network, and the game model of networked ATM is proposed using Bayesian Nash equilibrium strategy. At last, the information security assurance architecture of networked ATM system based on blockchain technology is formed by establishing a distributed co-trust mechanism and multi-chain storage structure. We expect this paper to bring some inspiration to the related research in academia and aviation so as to provide useful reference for the construction of ATM safety and security system and the development of technology.

The aero-engine will produce fouling during operation, which will affect the engine performance. On-line cleaning can effectively remove fouling, in order to solve the problem of the poor cleaning effect for aero-engine on-wing cleaning and carry out numerical simulation of the on-line cleaning process. The discrete phase model is used to optimize the particle size and mass flow of the cleaning fluid. The erosion rate and vorticity of the droplets on the blade surface are used as the effect target to simulate and optimize the cleaning process parameters to obtain a better particle size range and the ratio of cleaning fluid to air mass flow. Through the evaluation of the cleaning process parameters of the aero-engine on-wing cleaning test and the analysis of the engine exhaust temperature margin (EGTM) data, it is concluded that the cleaning effect is improved by nearly 40%.