Designing simulation platforms for uncertainty—An example from an aerospace supplier

Paper in proceeding, 2015

Variation poses a serious threat to the functionality, safety and reliability of aircraft. As the aerospace industry depends ever more heavily on modeling and simulation in their product development, there is an increased need to assess the effects of variation in a virtual environment. This paper outlines the methods proposed by a Swedish aerospace supplier to incorporate robust design methodology into platform-based product development. These methods evaluate how geometric variation affects the aerodynamic, thermal and structural performance of turbofan engine components. The results of the study show that simulation results are heavily affected by variations in geometry. Moreover, this study showcases automated simulation platforms as a powerful tool for robustness analyses. In addition to optimizing the robustness of products, these tools are equally effective as a tool for allocating engineering resources to optimize quality-to-cost ratio. © 2015 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Inc. All rights reserved.