Future aircraft design

With the increasing amount of flight passengers, aircraft engineers and manufacturers must develop electrified propulsion systems to avoid a dramatic rise in CO2 emissions. However, electrifying an aircraft leads to a redesign of many other aspects, such as the electric system integration because of new thermal conditions. To face these challenges, a model-based approach must be implemented. This will enable consistent and accurate behavioral verification and validation throughout the design cycle.

In this white paper, read about how the Simcenter™ portfolio of comprehensive scalable and collaborative tools supports dynamic model-based performance engineering, from concept design to certification, all on one platform.

Green aircraft technology

In these early days of green aircraft technology, there have been some initial next-generation aircraft wins. For example, Boeing has found that, with the 787, they’ve been able to leverage new technology for applications like electrical actuation systems and electrically driven pumps feeding the environmental control system (ECS).

But current green aviation technology still has a ways to go. When it comes to the power density of industrial electrical motors, to successfully implement electric propulsion units (EPUs), power density must reach between 10 and 15 kilowatts per kilogram (kW/kg); the current technology stands at 1 kW/kg.

To logistically design an aircraft with the electrical propulsion to replace traditional aircraft, companies must reimagine aircraft design, manufacturing and performance engineering. To effectively manage this sort of complexity, companies need solutions and processes that promote flexibility and collaboration across the entire aircraft lifecycle.

Aircraft engineering: A new approach

A model-based approach is the best way to manage the added complexity that comes with the increased electrification of future aircraft design. This approach is designed to handle the large amount of engineering collaboration and effort that’s required to manage new, interconnected electric systems. Capable of accommodating various teams in various locations, a model-based solution facilitates a constant flow of data and communication through a digital thread that spans the entire product lifecycle. Aided by a digital risk twin, a model-based solution also allows for automated and digitalized reliability, availability, maintainability and safety (RAMS) analysis. This automation will increase accuracy, efficiency and traceability.

Simcenter solutions

In joining the virtual and physical worlds, Siemens Digital Industries Software Simcenter portfolio is the only portfolio on the market that directly connects physical testing with system simulation, 3D computer-aided engineering (CAE) and 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Offering the ability to achieve one-of-a-kind continuity between physical and virtual environments via its predictive digital twin allows companies to save money and speed up time-to-market. This is because they can perform more of the certification and verification testing within the virtual world before moving things out into the physical world.

Download this white paper to read up on the current state of electrification in the pursuit of green aviation technology. Also, learn how the Simcenter portfolio offers a comprehensive set of scalable and collaborative tools for dynamic model-based performance engineering, from concept design to certification, all on one platform.