Decision Support Framework for Future Aircraft Development Programs

Abstract

Aviation consists of closely coupled stakeholders, a tool to value novel aircraft concepts should therefore incorporate relations between these stakeholders, product and environment. In particular valuation of environmental impact requires this integrated approach as efficiency of the technology and use of this technology combined comprise the environmental impact. Within the CleanEra project at the Delft University of Technology various technologies are developed for an environmentally friendly aircraft. The proposed framework is therefore intended as a consistent design support and valuation tool for future aircraft technology, including traceability of requirements, and the dynamic environment of stakeholders. The framework uses game-theory and discrete choice analysis to quantify stakeholder behavior. The framework is used to broaden the use of quality function deployment from a customer oriented to a stakeholder oriented approach. This puts the aircraft design in the system of systems environment of aviation by treating non-customer behaviour as requirements on the design instead of constraints. A set of aircraft stakeholders and their interactions is implemented, showing the interaction of passenger, airline and aircraft manufacturer on the aircraft requirements. The implementation was used to evaluate the effect of a reduction in aircraft environmental impact, including the changed behaviour of the airlines and passengers. The reduction in environmental impact on aviation level was found to be smaller than the environmental impact reduction of the aircraft, due to increased use of aircraft. This difference supports the idea that the environmental impact of new aircraft designs should be evaluated in a dynamic environment.