A new method for design cycle period management in aircraft design process

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present research into reducing the aircraft design cycle period, by reducing the necessary number of design cycle iterations. The design cycle period is one of the main characteristics of the design process and design cycle iterations play a major role in the design cycle period.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the above‐mentioned goal, the paper presents a mathematical model of iterations for the aircraft design process. This model describes the design coupled tasks as a discrete‐linear time invariant dynamic system. This model also helps identify tasks which are the most important for generating iterations. This new method basically helps break information cycles that create iterations among important tasks.

Findings

Studies conducted on a general aviation (GA) airplane (FAJR‐3) design process show the success of the suggested approach. This procedure eventually leads to an expedited convergence rate for the design iterations. That is, through proper breaking of information cycles, the convergence rate of the most dominant design mode could be increased by up to 31 percent. The process also leads to decoupling of the so‐called “coupled parts of design process,” which in turn leads to a more modular design with relatively easier management.

Practical implications

This method offers a new way of managing aircraft design processes while having to deal with constraints such as time and resources. The approach could be easily implemented as it manages any complex design‐process based on its resemblance to a dynamic system. The method can also be used as a component of an Integrated Airframe Design (IAD), as a tool for “Cycle time reduction”.

Originality/value

The advantage of this new approach, over other existing ones, lies in its ability to distinguish the important information cycles in a systematic manner. This helps to break the design process in a way that guarantees the increase in convergence speed of the whole design process.

Citation

Soltanmohammad, B. and Malaek, S.M. (2008), "A new method for design cycle period management in aircraft design process", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 80 No. 5, pp. 497-509. https://doi.org/10.1108/00022660810899865