Airbus A320 Research Articles

An integrated CFD and machine learning analysis on pilots in-flight thermal comfort and productivity

In the cockpit, minimising the pilots' thermal discomfort due to solar exposure while ensuring clear visibility is essential. This study numerically examined the solar radiation effect on thermal fields of an Airbus A320 cockpit and assessed global and local thermal comfort of three aircrews using the Fanger model and the Equivalent Homogeneous Temperature (EHT) model. The productivity of aircrews based on thermal comfort was further estimated. A total of 27 cases, encompassing a combination of environmental and HVAC parameters were performed. This dataset was used for data analysis, employing an explainable machine, XGBoost, to highlight the significance of each variable on the pilot's thermal satisfaction. Outcomes proved that solar radiation penetrating the cockpit domain facilitated a non-homogeneous temperature distribution and thermal stratification. With strong solar exposure, it was recommended to set cockpit's maximum supply temperature smaller than 19 ∘ C, maintaining RH between 10–20% for appropriate global thermal environment. Aircrew productivity loss was estimated to decline by 2.7% to 5.6% due to solar intensity variation, with pilot being the most affected. Without solar radiation, the local comfort of lower body segments was compromised. Rising solar radiation resulted in significant EHT gradient changes in the upper torso compared to the lower body, highlighting the predominance of radiative heat transfer at the upper level. Analysis via XGBoost revealed that mean radiant temperature had the most substantial impact on thermal satisfaction in the cockpit, underscoring the efficiency of optimising cockpit materials for better absorption and reflection of radiative heat for enhanced thermal environment control.

Analisis Perhitungan Weight And Balance pada Loadsheet dalam Menunjang Keselamatan Penerbangan pada Maskapai Air Asia di Bandar Udara Husein Sastranegara Bandung

The importance of calculating weight and balance on an aircraft to support flight safety is something that must be done by service providers. Mistakes in calculating weight distribution can cause overloads that risk endangering the safety of passengers, crew, and the aircraft itself. This study was conducted at AirAsia Airlines with a focus on the Airbus A320 aircraft at Husein Sastranegara Airport, Bandung. The study used a quantitative method with primary and secondary data collection. Primary data was collected through direct observation in the field, while secondary data was obtained from documents, journals, and related literature. This study analyzed data related to aircraft weight, fuel, passengers, baggage, and cargo to calculate weight and balance on the loadsheet. The results of this study indicate that calculating weight and balance on loadsheets is an important process in ensuring flight safety. Steps involving calculating the weight of passengers, baggage, cargo, fuel, and the distribution of the aircraft's center of gravity ensure that the aircraft operates within the safe limits set by the manufacturer. Based on the analysis of passenger, baggage, cargo, and fuel data, the Zero Fuel Weight (ZFW) was 60,516 kg, Takeoff Weight (TOW) was 67,516 kg, and Landing Weight (LW) was 62,516 kg. All of these parameters are within the specified safe limits. Load management on an Air Asia A320 aircraft when overloading requires special attention to parameters such as Maximum Takeoff Weight (MTOW), Maximum Landing Weight (MLW), and Maximum Landing Weight (MZFW). If an overload occurs, as recorded on the fourth day in Hold 5, the solution that can be taken is to reduce the cargo load on that Hold. For the situation on the fifth day, where the Landing Weight (LW) exceeds the MTOW, the right step is to reduce the amount of fuel.

Acoustic emission during the freezing of water or the melting of ice in aircraft

It is a frequently overlooked phenomenon that matter can produce sound emissions when undergoing a phase transition. The exact cause of this sound is until now not modeled and understood in depth, but it appears certain that sudden volume changes, cracks, friction, and other sources that occur during e.g. crystal decay/growth in melting/freezing processes must be considered. However, a generally accepted theory of the "sound of phase transitions" is lacking. In this paper we present a general introduction in this field. Besides the more fundamental aspects, the AE generation during the melting of ice can be used to detect the presence of this respective substance in technical structures. An interesting application is to detect the melting ice in aircraft. Adverse water accumulation, resulting from contamination and condensation, is regularly found in fuel tanks, and scheduled drainage procedures of this water after the melting of the ice are important to ensure the safety of systems and structures. A practical problem for drainage after flight is determining the right time to start the process. Beginning too early would mean that the remaining ice cannot be removed, and waiting too long presents an economic problem as it increases the aircraft's downtime. There is currently no technology that reports when all water has melted. To realize this goal acoustic sensors were attached to the skin of the tank walls, and the acoustic signals were intense enough to propagate through the aluminum sheets and coating and further analyzed. In this way, the completion of the melting of ice was determined by the time at which the acoustic emission stopped. We present measurements on a laboratory scale, the results from a climate chamber on relevant replica’s, and the outcome of a first campaign on an operational aircraft (Airbus A330).

Automated packing and piping in an Airbus A320 main landing gear bay: an industrial development case study

The packing of given hydraulic equipment together with the hydraulic piping is a challenging design task. Both the hydraulic domain and the geometry domain are highly intercoupled as the packing determines the exact location of the connection points and tangents for the pipes but also defines the installation spaces for the equipment to be positioned which needs to be taken into account as an obstacle during the piping process. For the industrial case study, a mounting rack in an Airbus A320 main landing gear bay is used, where seven pieces of equipment should be packed and 22 pipes should be routed. In the first part of the study, the packing was done manually, assisted by automated routing, while the hydraulic piping was generated automatically. In the second part of the study the packing was automatized as well. For the automated packing process, a particle multi swarm optimisation was used. As objective function a pipe length minimization was implemented, which uses the Dubins Path as a pipe approximation. Constraints taken into account are the collision-free nature of the equipment and its placement on a plate inside the plates borders. The automated packing workflow was used to generate different variants of which for two a pipe work was generated exemplarily. Due to the model-based systems engineering approach, no further interaction in terms of the definition of the connection points, tangents and the installation space is necessary. This demonstrates that an automated packing and piping process in an industrial context using industrial geometries is now feasible.

Automated pipe design in 3D using a multi-objective toolchain for efficient decision-making

Abstract Pipe design in 3D is typically characterized by competing objectives, since the different design objectives, such as the reduction of length, weight, number of bends, manufacturing cost, and overall angle sum, are examples for such competing design goals, where one goal is often at the expense of the other. The origin of these competing design goals lies in the highly coupled problems of finding a permissible and collision-free pipe path in a complex 3D geometry and the physical properties of the path found. Because of the complex physics and geometry, these couplings are highly non-linear and mostly accessible via simulation only. The underlying pipe design optimization problem can thus not be solved explicitly and is tackled instead with a multi-disciplinary search procedure. Since the trade-offs between different competing evaluation objectives are often not known in advance, an automated design space exploration can be performed to generate different pipe designs, leading to well-informed design decisions by human experts. Such a design space exploration is shown and discussed using the pipework in a mounting rack in an Airbus A320 main landing gear bay. A total of 144 valid designs are generated, out of which the best in each criteria and the pareto-optimal solutions are automatically selected. Compared to the manually created Airbus A320 series solution, up to $10.4\%$ of the pipe length or up to $16.9\%$ of the bends can be saved using the same fixings and connection points, demonstrating both the feasibility and the industrial applicability of the automated toolchain.

Aircraft Takeoff and Landing Weight Estimation from Surveillance Data

Aircraft weight estimation is a common problem facing researchers working with aircraft surveillance data. Although knowledge of an aircraft’s weight and thrust is required for many types of analyses, such as those evaluating aircraft acoustic noise, fuel burn, and emissions, these parameters are typically not available from surveillance sources. Instead, researchers generally only have access to basic aircraft states: lateral position, groundspeed, and altitude. Therefore, methods for estimating the weight of aircraft from these basic states become necessary in cases where aircraft performance is a key component of the analysis. This paper introduces two weight estimation models: one for the estimation of aircraft takeoff weight from departure data, and another for the estimation of aircraft landing weight from arrival data. The models are mathematically simple but grounded in knowledge of aircraft certification, airline operations, and aircraft flight management system logic. The landing weight estimation model proposed is shown to have a mean absolute error equivalent to 2.66% of maximum takeoff weight and a standard deviation of 3.35% of maximum takeoff weight when validated using onboard data recordings from 240 Airbus A320 flights. Similarly, the proposed takeoff weight estimation model is shown to have a mean absolute error of 2.83% of the maximum takeoff weight and a standard deviation of 3.55% of the maximum takeoff weight when applied to the same validation dataset.

SHM System Architecture based on Ultrasonic Guided Waves for Aircraft Application Scenarios

Structural health monitoring (SHM) based on ultrasonic guided waves is a novel technology using permanently attached actuator and sensor networks, data acquisition and data evaluation systems to enable in-service inspection of aircraft structures. A modular and decentralized SHM system is presented that can be adapted to various aircraft application scenarios. The central element of the SHM system is a robust sensor array based on piezocomposite technology that can be efficiently integrated into the manufacturing process of CFRP structures (via co-bonding). The sensor array consists of integrated piezoceramic transducers, temperature sensors, electrical cables and integrated electronic components. The decentralized system architecture of the individual electronic components reduces the installation and cabling effort during the assembly of aircraft structures as well as the system weight. Integration and installation aspects as well as various system architectures are discussed using an Airbus A350 door surround structure. Furthermore, an outlook of damage detection under representative flight loads is given.

Analysis of Preparation of Flight Coordinator Officers in Efforts to Achieve Ground Time for Transnusa Airbus A320 Aircraft at PT. Semesta Space Services Terminal 3 Soekarno Hatta Airport

Analysis of Preparation of Flight Coordinator Officers in Efforts to Achieve Ground Time for Transnusa Airbus A320 Aircraft at PT. Semesta Space Services Terminal 3 Soekarno Hatta Airport

Analyzing VNO Airport Traffic Data of 2023: Specific Aircraft Noise Measurement and Mitigation Recommendations

The expansion of airport operations worldwide yields numerous advantages, yet it also brings about certain adverse consequences, notably noise pollution. In addressing noise pollution, airports deploy a range of noise control strategies, which can be broadly classified into four categories: passive noise mitigation methods, active noise mitigation strategies, regulatory measures, and technological innovations. The paper investigates the feasibility of Balanced Approach (BA) implementation at Vilnius International Airport (VNO according to IATA). In this study, an in depth analysis was conducted on the data pertaining to the frequency of movements, the distinct types, models and age of aircraft that utilized VNO facilities during the calendar year of 2023. Following the analysis conducted throughout 2023, a total of 38 699 aircraft movements were recorded, from which predominant aircraft types were identified: Boeing B737 (A1), Airbus A320 (A2), Airbus A220 (A3), Bombardier CRJ/Challenger (A4), Embraer (A5) and ATR 72-500 (A6). Average age of aircraft most frequently arriving and departing at VNO is 14.35 years. The sound measurements for A1, A3 and A6 were done with Bruel&Kjaer 2270 Investigator sound analyzer. Data then was post processed by BZ-5503 Measurement Partner Suite and measured data Leq, LMAX, different noise levels were compared. Measurements show that permitted noise levels are exceeded, especially by older age aircraft. Reducing air fleet age would be most efficient noise mitigation measure according to BA.

A Simulation Study on Utilizing in Airbus380 fuel Tanks for Thrust and Fuel Efficiency

This paper explores the potential benefits of using nanofluids within the fuel system of an Airbus A380 to enhance engine thrust and reduce fuel consumption. By analyzing the Nusselt and Reynolds numbers, the study aims to understand the heat transfer and fluid dynamics that could lead to more efficient aircraft operation. The integration of nanotechnology in aviation fuel systems represents a promising frontier for improving aircraft performance. the nanoscale as a fluid whose particles are suspended between 1-100 nanometers and permanently in the particle. Adding nanoscale increases heat transfer. In this research used silicon carbide nanofluid (sic nanofluid) with a percentage of (1,2,3,4%) the base fluid (Jet A1) as well as thermal properties including Nusselt number and thermal conductivity coefficient and... It's been studied.

Enhancing System Predictability and Profitability: The Importance of Reliability Modelling in Complex Systems and Aviation Industry

Predicting the future has always been a human endeavor, ranging from antiquated methods such as monitoring aquariums for indications of earthquakes to contemporary techniques that evaluate system probabilities and capacities. Taking into account the current emphasis on improving product reliability by customer demands and global competitiveness, we introduce the idea of reliability in the context of the Airbus A320 airplane in this paper. When it comes to business and commercial aircraft, timetable compliance and punctuality are critical components of an aircraft’s profitability. For many operators of commercial aircraft, reaching the 98% reliability criterion is a typical objective. This study examines the Airbus A320 in great detail, concentrating on a particular system scenario that has two possible failure modes, one where gears do not retract after takeoff and the other being when landing, the gears fail to extend. The organization bears specific costs as a result of these shortcomings. The purpose of the study is to examine these expenses and offer insights into the financial ramifications by performing a profit analysis. We examine the failure and repair patterns by utilizing the Markov Process and Regenerative Point method. This study adds to our understanding of the reliability issues facing the aviation sector and has applications for improving the Airbus A320 aircraft’s operational effectiveness and financial performance.

Impact of Internal Baffle Designs on Liquid Hydrogen Sloshing in Cryogenic Aircraft Fuel Tanks

Hydrogen because of its zero carbon emissions and highly energy-dense nature has a strong potential to be used as an aviation fuel. There are currently two main ways that hydrogen is being considered for use in aircraft: it can be vaporized and mixed with air before being burned in the jet engine, or it can be used to power fuel cells that generate electricity, which can be used to power electric motors. Both these scenarios would require storing liquid hydrogen (LH2) in cryogenic tanks on board as it minimizes the tank size. But a major challenge with cryogenic hydrogen storage is the dynamic movement of the fuel which can lead to fuel boil off and bubble formation. In the current paper, the sloshing motion of LH2 in a CHEETA type thin-walled composite fuel tank, under acceleration data obtained from an Airbus A-320 in cruising conditions, is investigated. The dynamic fluid structure interaction problem is solved numerically using the Coupled Eulerian-Lagrangian (CEL) technique in ABAQUS. The developed modelling strategy is then employed to study the impact of various internal baffle designs on the sloshing behavior of the fuel under different fill levels. This study not only establishes that sloshing is a major cause for concern when it comes to LH2 aircraft fuel storage, but also advances our understanding in devising potential mitigative strategies.

Investigation of emissions from passenger flights Denizli Çardak Airport, Türkiye

AbstractDue to developing aviation sector, number of aircraft in the world is increasing. Along with this development, problems such as the decrease in air quality in and around the airport also arise. In this study, it is tried to calculate pollutant emissions occurring in 2022 during the LTO cycles of Denizli Çardak Airport in Turkey. These calculations are based on the information obtained from ICAO Engine Emission Data Bank and flight information published by the General Directorate of State Airports Authority (GDSAA). As a result of the data obtained, 74.64 ton/year pollutants (NOx-37.148 t/y, CO-35.398 t/y and HC-2.094 t/y) were calculated for 2022 at Denizli Çardak Airport. Of all emissions, NOx accounted for 50%, CO 47% and HC 3%. In the LTO cycle, the most fuel is burned in taxi cycle and pollutant emissions produced in this cycle are greater. With a 2 min reduction in taxi time, there will be an approximate 6.8% reduction in the total emission rate in the LTO cycle. Similarly, with a 4 min reduction in taxi time, there will be a 13.72% reduction in the whole emission rate in the LTO cycle. Unlike other studies, in this study the emission rates of various engines were compared. It has been calculated that the amount of pollutant emissions produced by the new generation Boeing 737 MAX LEAP-1B powered aircraft in LTO cycle is 25% less than the amount of pollutant emissions produced by the Airbus A320 NEO LEAP-1 A powered aircraft. The biggest factor here is that the emission of CO pollutants is less. Considering the emission rates produced by these four different engines (B737-800 CFM56-7B, A320 V2500-A1, B737 MAX LEAP-1B, A320 NEO LEAP-1 A), the Airbus A320 V2500-A1 engine is a more environmentally friendly engine than the other engines.

Humanitarian Aeromedical Retrieval using a Long-Range Commercial Aircraft: A Field Report.

This field report presents the planning and execution of a large-scale aeromedical refugee retrieval operation amid the on-going Russia-Ukraine crisis. The retrieval was coordinated by the Italian Department of Civil Protection and led by the Centrale Remota Operazioni Soccorso Sanitario (CROSS), a governmental facility overseeing medical assistance. An Airbus A320 was chosen for its capacity of 165 passengers, with one emergency stretcher maintaining maximum seating. The aircraft was equipped with an Advanced Life Support kit, and specific considerations for medical equipment compliance were made. Special cases, including patients with on-going chemotherapy and end-stage kidney disease, underwent fit-to-fly screening. The boarding process in Lublin, Poland involved triage and arrangements for passengers with gastroenteric symptoms. Notably, 22 passengers with recent episodes of illness were isolated. The successful operation, demonstrating the viability of evacuating vulnerable individuals via commercial airlines, underscores the importance of precise planning and coordination in crisis situations.

Beyond flight operations: Assessing the environmental impact of aircraft maintenance through life cycle assessment

As the aviation industry strives to minimise its environmental footprint, understanding the full life cycle impacts, including maintenance, becomes essential for sustainable development. This paper addresses the critical research gap in the environmental assessment of aircraft maintenance by conducting a comprehensive life cycle assessment based on an Airbus A320 aircraft. By combining a top-down check-level analysis and a detailed examination of the aircraft manufacturer’s maintenance planning document, this study provides significant insights into the environmental implications of maintenance activities. The check-level analysis provides a general overview, while the analysis of the maintenance planning document delves into individual tasks, enabling the identification of components with the highest ecological impacts. This research emphasises the importance of including aircraft maintenance activities in life cycle assessment studies and provides valuable guidance for researchers, industry practitioners, and policy makers in prioritising sustainability measures and enhancing the environmental performance of aircraft throughout their life cycle.

Review on Additive Manufacturing Process in Aircraft Industries

This paper explores the feasibility of implementing 3D printing technology for manufacturing seat buckles in the Airbus A380. While additive manufacturing has gained attention for its versatility, safety-critical components require rigorous testing and certification. Through a comprehensive review of literature and expert interviews, this study analyzes the viability of 3D printing for seat buckle production. The results indicate that traditional manufacturing methods, such as injection molding and forging, remain the preferred choices due to their established reliability and quality control procedures. The aviation industry places the utmost importance on safety and reliability, especially in the manufacturing of safety-critical components like seat buckles. This paper examines the potential integration of 3D printing technology into the production process of seat buckles for the Airbus A380, considering the stringent certification requirements and performance expectations. A literature review encompassing additive manufacturing techniques, aerospace certification processes, and current seat buckle manufacturing practices was conducted. Expert interviews were also conducted to gather insights from industry professionals with expertise in aerospace manufacturing. The analysis revealed that conventional manufacturing methods such as injection molding and forging are currently preferred for seat buckle production in the Airbus A380 and other aircraft parts. These methods have established reliability and quality control procedures, ensuring compliance with rigorous safety standards. Although 3D printing has found success in prototyping and non-critical components, its application in safety-critical components like seat buckles is limited. The decision to favor traditional manufacturing methods for seat buckle production in the Airbus A380 is driven by the need for extensively tested and certified components. Safety-critical parts undergo stringent testing to guarantee their performance under various operating conditions. While 3D printing offers design flexibility and reduced lead times, further research and development is necessary to ensure its viability in safety-critical applications. At present, 3D printing technology is not widely employed for manufacturing seat buckles in the Airbus A380. Traditional methods provide the required reliability and quality control procedures. However, ongoing advancements in additive manufacturing may present future opportunities for incorporating 3D printing technology into safety-critical applications within the aerospace industry. Further research and development are necessary to explore these possibilities.

Fuzzy Modeling Framework Using Sector Non-Linearity Techniques for Fixed-Wing Aircrafts

This paper presents a mathematical modeling approach utilizing a fuzzy modeling framework for fixed-wing aircraft systems with the goal of creating a highly desirable mathematical representation for model-based control design applications. The starting point is a mathematical model comprising fifteen non-linear ordinary differential equations representing the dynamic and kinematic behavior applicable to a wide range of fixed-wing aircraft systems. Here, the proposed mathematical modeling framework is applied to the AIRBUS A310 model developed by ONERA. The proposed fuzzy modeling framework takes advantage of sector non-linearity red techniques to recast all the non-linear terms from the original model to a set of combined fuzzy rules. The result of this fuzzification is a more suitable mathematical description from the control system design point of view. Therefore, the combination of this fuzzy model and the wide range of control techniques available in the literature for such kind of models, like parallel and non-parallel distributed compensation control laws using linear matrix inequality optimization, enables the development of control algorithms that guarantee stability conditions for a wide range of operations points, avoiding the classical gain scheduling schemes, where the stability issues can be extremely challenging.

Piezoelectric resonant ice protection systems - Part2/2 : benefits at aircraft level

Piezoelectric resonant de-icing systems are attracting great interest. This paper aims to assess the implementation of these systems at the aircraft level. The article begins with the model to compute the power requirement of a piezoelectric resonant de-icing system sized from the prototype detailed in Part 1/2 of this article. Then the mass, drag, and fuel consumption of this system and the subcomponents needed for its implementation are assessed. The features of a piezoelectric resonant de-icing system are finally computed for aircraft similar to Airbus A320 aircraft and aircraft of different categories (Boeing 787, ATR 72 and TBM 900) and compared with the existing thermal and mechanical ice protection systems. A sensitivity analysis of the main key sizing parameters of the piezoelectric de-icing system is also performed to identify the main axes of improvement for this technology. The study shows the potential of such ice protection systems. In particular, for the realistic input parameters chosen in this work, the electro-mechanical solution can provide a 54% reduction in terms of mass and a 92% reduction in terms of power consumption for an A320 aircraft architecture, leading to a 74% decrease in the associated fuel consumption compared to the actual air bleed system.

Cardiodynamic adjustments in skilled civil aircraft pilots while unexpected emergency conditions appeared during a simulated flight within a homemade Airbus A300 cockpit

To highlight which cardiodynamic adjustments take place in civil aircraft pilots when unexpected mechanical accidents occur while they are in flight, in 8 skilled pilots we detected the mean blood arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) while a unexpected failing of one engine occurred when they were engaged in a simulated flight with a homemade Airbus A300 cockpit. Comparing these two cardiovascular variables in a simulated flight test, just as when the accident happened, together with the values assessed in a simulated control flight without accidents, by the non-parametric Wilcoxon test for paired data it has been found a significant increase of MAP’s median (+ 20.3%, P = 0.008) without significant increase in HR one. However, in several tested pilots this sudden MAP increase tended to progressively recover baseline values while simulating the flight despite the event triggering this functional response was still present.We concluded that the cardiovascular apparatus of skilled aircraft civil pilots adapts in such a way of sudden respond to unexpected emergency conditions by adjusting mean arterial blood pressure for adequate blood flow to limb muscles, and this happens without a concomitant tachycardia response in order to maintain an optimal mechanical/metabolic efficiency of the heart.

The Manufacturing Processes of Airbus A320 Landing Gear Bhushings Using Reverse Engineering Methods

The aviation sector is currently enjoying fast growth, as seen by the manufacture of 8,650 Airbus A320 aircraft. One critical component is the landing gear bushing (P/N 201160616), which provides safety and performance during takeoff and landing. PT. GMF AeroAsiaTbk is having difficulty obtaining these bushings due to low stock, configuration changes, and delivery delays. To address this, PT. GMF AeroAsiaTbk, through PMA Holder GMF Aero Asia, intends to produce bushings independently under the Parts Manufacturing Approval procedure outlined in CASR Part 21 Sub-Part K, with DGCA monitoring. Reverse engineering approaches are utilized to overcome technical information restrictions, allowing high-quality bushings to be produced. The research goals are to collect dimensional and material data, develop optimal production methods, and understand the electroplating process on bushings. The reverse engineering procedure entails taking measurements with a vernier calliper and a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) as well as reviewing the Component Maintenance Manual. Preparation, fabrication, inspection, packing, and marking are all part of the production process. Bright cadmium electroplating is used to prevent corrosion and enhance appearance. The findings are expected to improve production efficiency, decrease downtime, and ensure the availability of dependable spare parts.