Avoiding Inconsistencies between Data Models in Collaborative Aircraft Design Processes

Abstract

Setting up a truely holistic aircraft design process considering all the relevant disciplines, requires a new level of collaboration. Design tools from different fields of expertise need to be combined in order to cover each discipline thoroughly. While the use of a central data format reduces the effort necessary to interconnect all the design tools, inconsistencies can remain hidden inside the process. Despite the central data format a conversion needs to be implemented from the central data format to the representation used in each application. Especially in multi-fidelity processes this can be a source of errors. Abstracting from a detailed model to a reduced model and back, requires knowledge which is usually based on assumptions. In order to ensure consistency, any assumption made during the abstraction needs to be valid for the data at hand. In this paper inconsistencies discovered during the development of the design process in Digital-X are used to illustrate the challenge in their setup. From the experience with the implementation of collaborative design processes a generalized method was developed for avoiding inconsistencies. The application of the method on the specific example from the Digital-X project indicates the value for the setup of future design processes.