Structural information technologies for aircraft design process improvement

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Taylor ◽  
Terrence Weisshaar
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Structural Information ◽  
Aircraft Design

Advanced aircraft performance analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 90 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Immer ◽  
Philipp Georg Juretzko
Keyword(s):  
Performance Analysis ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Performance Optimization ◽  
Electric Propulsion ◽  
Vertical Plane ◽  
Aircraft Design ◽  
Efficient Design ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Aircraft Performance ◽  
Hybrid Electric

Purpose The preliminary aircraft design process comprises multiple disciplines. During performance analysis, parameters of the design mission have to be optimized. Mission performance optimization is often challenging, especially for complex mission profiles (e.g. for unmanned aerial vehicles [UAVs]) or hybrid-electric propulsion. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to find a methodology that supports aircraft performance analysis and that is applicable to complex profiles and to novel designs. Design/methodology/approach As its core element, the developed method uses a computationally efficient C++ software “Aircraft Performance Program” (APP), which performs a segment-based mission computation. APP performs a time integration of the equations of motion of a point mass in the vertical plane. APP is called via a command line interface from a flexible scripting language (Python). On top of APP’s internal radius of action optimization, state-of-the-art optimization packages (SciPy) are used. Findings The application of the method to a conventional climb schedule shows that the definition of the top of climb has a significant influence on the resulting optimum. Application of the method to a complex UAV mission optimization, which included maximizing the radius of action, was successful. Low computation time enables to perform large parametric studies. This greatly improves the interpretation of the results. Research limitations/implications The scope of the paper is limited to the methodology that allows for advanced performance analysis at the conceptual and preliminary design stages with an emphasis on novel propulsion concepts. The methodology is developed using existing, validated methods, and therefore, this paper does not contain comprehensive validation. Other disciplines, such as cost analysis, life-cycle assessment or market analysis, are not considered. Practical implications With the proposed method, it is possible to obtain not only the desired optimum mission performance but also off-design performance of the investigated design. A thorough analysis of the mission performance provides insight into the design’s capabilities and shortcomings, ultimately aiding in obtaining a more efficient design. Originality/value Recent developments in the area of hybrid or hybrid-electric propulsion systems have shown the need for performance computation tools aiding the related design process. The presented method is especially valuable when novel design concepts with complex mission profiles are investigated.

Deliberate and Emergent Changes on a Way Towards Electronic Document Management

2011 ◽  
pp. 320-333
Author(s):  
Tero Paivarinta ◽  
Airi Salminen
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Process Improvement ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Quality System ◽  
Document Management ◽  
Electronic Document ◽  
Electronic Document Management ◽  
New Information ◽  
Recursive Dynamics

A unit of Fortum Service Ltd. operates and maintains the Rauhalahti power plant in Central Finland. In 1996-97, the unit launched a project pursuing coordinated organizationwide electronic document management (EDM). This case follows deliberate and emergent changes related to document management in the organization since the initiation of the project until February 2000. New information technologies were adopted, and responsibilities for continuous improvement of EDM were assigned. The continuous improvement was implemented as an extension of the ISO 9002 quality system earlier adopted for process improvement. The case shows that a shift from the paper-based era towards organizationwide EDM is a comprehensive change both affecting and affected by several components in the organization. EDM development in the organization was part of organization recursive dynamics where the quality system supported both planning for deliberate changes and reacting to emergent changes.

Advancements in a Web-Based Framework in Product Family Optimization and Visualization

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica L. Mulberger ◽  
Timothy W. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Product Family ◽  
Aircraft Design ◽  
Product Variety ◽  
General Aviation ◽  
Design Parameters ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Product Platforms ◽  
Number Of Customers

Today’s market is becoming increasingly more competitive as companies strive to achieve success by reaching a large number of customers in a mass market while simultaneously treating them as individuals in a customized market. Many companies have begun to appreciate the benefits of using product platforms as they increase the customizability of their offered products, while reducing development costs and time to market. However, product variety is not customization; it is simply an attempt on the part of a company to meet the individual needs of their customers by flooding the market with many variations of the same product. With recent innovations in the field of information technology, web-based product development methodologies provide the capability for advanced customer involvement during the design process, which is a crucial aspect of differentiating customization from variety. Current approaches have provided web-based frameworks where users are offered a limited amount of control in the design process by assembling different configurations of given modules or by choosing a product already available in the company database. The focus in this paper is on advancements to a web-based framework where design parameters are collected from the user by means of a web-based browser interface, optimization is completed using the specified parameters, and a 3D visual representation is dynamically provided based on the results from the optimization. This proposed framework is illustrated using an example from ongoing research involving General Aviation Aircraft design.

Practical problems of numerical optimization in aerospace sciences

2017 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 570-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Mieloszyk
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Numerical Optimization ◽  
Optimization Problems ◽  
Aircraft Design ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Multidisciplinary Optimization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Design Procedures ◽  
Industry Practice

Purpose The paper aims to apply numerical optimization to the aircraft design procedures applied in the airspace industry. Design/methodology/approach It is harder than ever to achieve competitive construction. This is why numerical optimization is becoming a standard tool during the design process. Although optimization procedures are becoming more mature, yet in the industry practice, fairly simple examples of optimization are present. The more complicated is the task to solve, the harder it is to implement automated optimization procedures. This paper presents practical examples of optimization in aerospace sciences. The methodology is discussed in the article in great detail. Findings Encountered problems related to the numerical optimization are presented. Different approaches to the solutions of the problems are shown, which have impact on the time of optimization computations and quality of the obtained optimum. Achieved results are discussed in detail with relation to the used settings. Practical implications Investigated different aspects of handling optimization problems, improving quality of the obtained optimum or speeding-up optimization by parallel computations can be directly applied in the industry optimization practice. Lessons learned from multidisciplinary optimization can bring industry products to higher level of performance and quality, i.e. more advanced, competitive and efficient aircraft design procedures, which could be applied in the industry practice. This can lead to the new approach of aircraft design process. Originality/value Introduction of numerical optimization methods in aircraft design process. Showing how to solve numerical optimization problems related to advanced cases of conceptual and preliminary aircraft design.

scholarly journals Numerical continuation and bifurcation analysis in aircraft design: an industrial perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 373 (2051) ◽  
pp. 20140406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjiv Sharma ◽  
Etienne B. Coetzee ◽  
Mark H. Lowenberg ◽  
Simon A. Neild ◽  
Bernd Krauskopf
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Bifurcation Analysis ◽  
Aircraft Design ◽  
Numerical Continuation ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Systems Software ◽  
Control Community ◽  
Passenger Aircraft ◽  
The Military

Bifurcation analysis is a powerful method for studying the steady-state nonlinear dynamics of systems. Software tools exist for the numerical continuation of steady-state solutions as parameters of the system are varied. These tools make it possible to generate ‘maps of solutions’ in an efficient way that provide valuable insight into the overall dynamic behaviour of a system and potentially to influence the design process. While this approach has been employed in the military aircraft control community to understand the effectiveness of controllers, the use of bifurcation analysis in the wider aircraft industry is yet limited. This paper reports progress on how bifurcation analysis can play a role as part of the design process for passenger aircraft.

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