A framework for aircraft conceptual design and environmental performance studies

Abstract

Although aircraft environmental impact has been a concern since the beginning of commercial aviation, continuous growth in passenger traffic and increasing public awareness make aircraft noise and emissions critical considerations in the design of future aircraft. This research explores the feasibility of including environmental performance as an optimization objective at the aircraft conceptual design stage, allowing a quantitative analysis of the trade-offs between environmental performance and operating cost. A program for aircraft design and optimization was developed, using a multiobjective genetic algorithm to determine optimal aircraft configurations and to estimate the sensitivities between the conflicting objectives of low noise, low emissions, and operating costs. The design tool is based on a new application integration framework incorporating a detailed noise prediction code, engine simulator, and aircraft analysis and optimization modules. This paper describes the framework and design approach, including initial results that illustrate environmental performance trades and explore the feasibility of very low-noise and low-emissions designs that could dramatically decrease the environmental impact of commercial aviation.