Framework for Sustainability-Driven Aircraft Design

Abstract

For sustainable development of air transport future aircraft designs play a crucial role. New technologies as well as new design strategies could lead to aircraft designs with higher economic efficiency without impact negatively environment and society. Therefore, sustainability aspects have to be addressed well-balanced already in the design process. Currently the main objectives in aircraft design are economic and environmental aspects with focus on block fuel, operating costs, noise, and emissions. This paper deals with the question, how overall sustainability can be measured and an indicator set for aircraft design purposes is defined. For sustainability assessment of aircraft designs at conceptual design stage quantification models for each indicator are presented. All models are integrated into the Multidisciplinary Integrated Conceptual Aircraft Design and Optimization (MICADO) environment of the Institute of Aerospace Systems (ILR) of RWTH Aachen University. Furthermore, for the use of multiple sustainability criteria two multi criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods have been selected and integrated. This design and assessment framework enables sustainability-driven aircraft design already at conceptual design stage. Two case studies are presented to show the applicability of the framework. For a designed aircraft a parameter study varying Mach number and flight level is performed and the pareto optimal operating points for the optimization criteria climate change and operating costs are determined. The results show possibilities how to operate existing aircraft designs for lower climate impact without economic disadvantages. To show the impact on overall aircraft level, the same parameter study is performed for the design mission within the design loop. The aircraft designs optimal for single sustainability indicators and, using MCDA methods, for overall sustainability are presented and discussed.