3428. Method for Model-Based Estimations of System Masses in Aircraft Pre-Design

Paper

Abstract

Aircraft systems are getting a more and more important role in the development of today?s aircraft. Technical, operational, and cost aspects of the systems gain significant influence with respect to the overall economic characteristics of an aircraft, which have been evolved to a decision making criteria. Therefore, it is of great interest to predict the influence of the systems, their architectures, and technologies on the overall aircraft already in the early state of the pre-design phase. This paper presents a new method, which enables a mass estimation for aircraft systems based on their physical interrelations, but needing only such parameters which are known in the pre-design phase. Using this method, two different types of comparisons are possible. On the one hand, two different technologies can be compared on the basis of one aircraft design. And on the other hand, scaled aircraft designs can be compared by using the same technology. For the analysis of aircraft systems, the masses and engine power off-takes are to be estimated. Respective literature presents several methods for system mass estimation, but they are mainly based on statistical evaluations of aging aircraft only. They do not cover new system technologies or architectural differences for today?s and future aircraft. Therefore, this paper presents a new method developed in close co-operation between the Institute for Aircraft Systems Engineering of the Hamburg University of Technology and the Future Projects Office of Airbus. This method allows the estimation of system masses and their required power on the basis of the physical and technical interrelations, couplings, and configuration characteristics. Initially, those aircraft systems are considered, which have a major impact on the overall system weight. With it, the mass estimation of aircraft systems in the pre-design phase can be improved significantly, concerning accuracy of results and flexibility of assessed archi