Streamlining from drawing board to take-off
The European aviation sector is facing greater challenges than ever before under the pressure of global competition as well as industrial, environmental, financial and consumer demands. In order to remain competitive and meet demands, the 'Collaborative and robust engineering using simulation capability enabling next design optimisation' (Crescendo) project has been initiated. The EU-funded project aims to ensure product maturity at all levels by improving the management and evolution of the aircraft behavioural dataset from concept to certification. Crescendo is pursuing a step change in the way that modelling and simulation (M&S) activities are carried out. The objective is to have multidisciplinary teams working collaboratively so as to develop new aeronautical products in a more cost- and time-efficient manner. Crescendo aims to halve the time new products take to get to market and increase integration of the supply chain into the network. It also intends to reduce travel charges through substantial cuts in operating costs. Crescendo began by establishing the system engineering database (CSEDb) to compile templates of test cases and behavioural digital aircraft (BDA) capabilities. From the compiled information, an overall framework was established for designing the BDA architecture. Functional analyses were then completed for the model store, simulation factory, quality lab as well as enterprise collaboration-enabling capabilities. These are being used to refine operations at each stage of development. The final objective is the creation of a complete range of models and simulations. These representations will detail the behavioural, functional and operational aspects of the whole aircraft and constituent sub-systems and components. The BDA end product will therefore be the new backbone for the simulation world. The project team plans to deliver a multi-partner, multi-level, multidiscipline, multi-quality behavioural digital representation of the evolving aircraft and all its constituent systems and sub-systems. A single, but federated BDA dataset would typically exist for a given major aircraft development programme.
