Collaborative aircraft design using an integrated and distributed multidisciplinary product development process

Abstract

Within aircraft design, the conceptual and preliminary phases ranging up to high fidelity multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) increasingly feature an interdisciplinary character. To successfully develop novel high-performance aircraft and their components, effective collaboration among partners having different specialist backgrounds becomes a challenging task in the competitive environment of the future. Within the research project “Integrated and Distributed Engineering Services framework for MDO (IDEaliSM)”, a framework supporting this collaboration approach is under development. The envisioned geometry-centric development process requires an adequate IT supported integration environment, enabling efficient exploration of the interaction of design-driving physics. In addition, an extensive multi-fidelity parameterization strategy is required. This paper describes the main components required in a collaborative design process and proposes an architecture for collaborative design. An initial implementation of the geometry-centric approach and parameterization strategy is explained by means application to a design process the conceptual layout of a fighter configuration.