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Article
Publication date: 2 June 2023

Saeed Mahjouri, Rasoul Shabani and Martin Skote

The first touchdown moment of aircraft tyres on a runway is the critical phase where maximum of the vertical and horizontal ground loads is produced. Some valuable drop tests have…

Abstract

Purpose

The first touchdown moment of aircraft tyres on a runway is the critical phase where maximum of the vertical and horizontal ground loads is produced. Some valuable drop tests have been performed at Langley research centre to simulate the touchdown and the spin-up dynamics. However, a long impact basin and a huge power source to accelerate and decelerate the landing gear mechanism have been used. Based on a centrifugal mechanism, the purpose of this paper is to propose the conceptual design of a new experimental setup to simulate the spin-up dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

A schematic view of the proposed mechanism is presented, and its components are introduced. Operating condition of the system and the test procedure are discussed in detail. Finally, tyre spin-up dynamics of Boeing 747 is considered as a case study, and operating condition of the system and the related test parameters are extracted.

Findings

It is shown that the aircraft tyre spin-up dynamics can be simulated in a limited laboratory space with low energy consumption. The proposed setup enables the approach velocity, sink rate and vertical ground load to be adjusted by low power actuators. Hence, the proposed mechanism can be used to simulate the tyre spin-up dynamics of different types of aircraft.

Research limitations/implications

It is important to note that more details of the setup, including the braking and actuating mechanisms together with their control procedures, should be clarified in practice. In addition, the curved path introduced as the runway will cause errors in the results. Hence, a compromise should be made between the tyre pressure, path curvature, the induced error and the cost of the experimental setup.

Practical implications

The proposed experimental setup could be constructed in a limited space and at a relatively low cost. Low power actuators are used in the proposed system. Hence, in addition to the performance tests, fatigue tests of the landing gear mechanism will also be possible.

Originality/value

Based on a centrifugal mechanism, the conceptual design of a new experimental setup is presented for simulating the tyre spin-up dynamics of aircraft. Considering that the drag load developed during tyre spin-up following initial touchdown is an important factor governing the design of the landing gear mechanism and aircraft structure, the authors hope this paper encourages engineers to continuously make efforts to increase the transparency of the touchdown process, enabling optimisation of landing gear design.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2023

M. Mary Victoria Florence and E. Priyadarshini

This study aims to propose the use of time series autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models to predict gas path performance in aero engines. The gas path is a…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to propose the use of time series autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models to predict gas path performance in aero engines. The gas path is a critical component of an aero engine and its performance is essential for safe and efficient operation of the engine.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzes a data set of gas path performance parameters obtained from a fleet of aero engines. The data is preprocessed and then fitted to ARIMA models to predict the future values of the gas path performance parameters. The performance of the ARIMA models is evaluated using various statistical metrics such as mean absolute error, mean squared error and root mean squared error. The results show that the ARIMA models can accurately predict the gas path performance parameters in aero engines.

Findings

The proposed methodology can be used for real-time monitoring and controlling the gas path performance parameters in aero engines, which can improve the safety and efficiency of the engines. Both the Box-Ljung test and the residual analysis were used to demonstrate that the models for both time series were adequate.

Research limitations/implications

To determine whether or not the two series were stationary, the Augmented Dickey–Fuller unit root test was used in this study. The first-order ARIMA models were selected based on the observed autocorrelation function and partial autocorrelation function.

Originality/value

Further, the authors find that the trend of predicted values and original values are similar and the error between them is small.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 24 April 2023

Bruno Chanetz and Abderrahmane Bairi

Abstract

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 33 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Article
Publication date: 12 March 2024

Shuowen Yan, Pu Xue, Long Liu and M.S. Zahran

This study aims to investigate the design and optimization of landing gear buffers to improve the landing-phase comfort of civil aircraft.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the design and optimization of landing gear buffers to improve the landing-phase comfort of civil aircraft.

Design/methodology/approach

The vibration comfort during the landing and taxiing phases is calculated and evaluated based on the flight-testing data for a type of civil aircraft. The calculation and evaluation are under the guidance of the vibration comfort standard of GB/T13441.1-2007 and related files. The authors establish here a rigid-flexible coupled multibody dynamics finite element model of one full-size aircraft. Furthermore, the authors also implement a dynamic simulation for the landing and taxiing processes. Also, an analysis of how the main parameters of the buffers affect the vibration comfort is presented. Finally, the optimization of the single-chamber and double-chamber buffers in the landing gear is performed considering vibration comfort.

Findings

The double-chamber buffer with optimized parameters in landing gear can improve the vibration comfort of the aircraft during the landing and taxiing phases. Moreover, the comfort index can be increased by 25.6% more than that of a single-chamber type.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study first investigates the evaluation methods and evaluation indexes on the aircraft vibration comfort, then further conducts the optimization of the parameters of landing gear buffer with different structures, so as to improve the comfort of aircraft passengers during landing process. Most of the current studies on aircraft landing gear have focused on the strength and safety of the landing gear, with very limited research on cabin vibration comfort during landing and subsequent taxiing because of the coupling of runway surface unevenness and airframe vibration.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 July 2023

Guihang Liu, Runxia Guo and Jiusheng Chen

Maintenance stands are the most valuable maintenance resources and provide the necessary maintenance space and maintenance facilities for aircraft maintenance. To expand the…

Abstract

Purpose

Maintenance stands are the most valuable maintenance resources and provide the necessary maintenance space and maintenance facilities for aircraft maintenance. To expand the maintenance market, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) urgently need to achieve a reasonable schedule between aircraft maintenance requirements and maintenance stand capability to improve aircraft maintenance continuity and reduce the risk of scratching due to aircraft movement. This study aims to design a maintenance stand scheduling (MSS) model based on spatiotemporal constraints to solve the problem of maintenance stand schedules.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the problem of maintenance stand schedules, this study introduces mixed-integer programming algorithm to design the MSS model on the basis of classical hybrid flow shop structure. When designing the optimization objective function of MSS modeling, the spatiotemporal constraints are mainly considered. Specifically, first, the spatial constraints between maintenance stands are fully considered so that more aircraft can be parked in the workshop. Second, the optimization objective is designed to minimize the number of aircraft movements by defining multiple maintenance capabilities of the stand. Finally, a solution based on spatiotemporal constraints is proposed in the solving process.

Findings

A set of MRO production data from Guangzhou is used as a test data set to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MSS model.

Originality/value

The types of maintenance stands are defined and divided into four categories: fixed stand, temporary stand, half-body stand and engine ground test stand, which facilitates optimal modeling; a new scheduling model is designed considering both temporal constraints and spatial constraints, which can improve both the utilization of maintenance stand and safety (reduce the risk of scratching between aircraft).

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 January 2023

Ruihua Zhang, Leiming Geng and Weihua Liu

To reduce the flammability exposure assessment time and meet the requirements of airworthiness regulations of transport aircraft, inerting system has become the standard…

Abstract

Purpose

To reduce the flammability exposure assessment time and meet the requirements of airworthiness regulations of transport aircraft, inerting system has become the standard configuration of modern civil aircraft. Therefore, airworthiness regulations put forward definite quantitative index requirements for the safety of inerting system, and to obtain the quantitative data of the safety of inerting system, it is necessary to solve the calculation method. As one of the quantitative/qualitative evaluation techniques for system safety, fault tree analysis is recognized by international airworthiness organizations and national airworthiness certification agencies. When fault tree analysis technology is applied to quantitative analysis of the safety of inerted system, there are still some problems, such as heavy margin of constructing fault tree, great difficulty, high requirement for analysts and poor accuracy of solving when there are too many minimum cut sets. However, based on tens of thousands of flight simulation tests, Monte Carlo random number generation method can solve this problem.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the fault tree of airborne inerting system is established, and the top event is airborne inerting system losing air separation function. Monte Carlo method based on random number generation is used to carry out system security analysis. The reliability of this method is verified.

Findings

The static fault tree analysis method based on Monte Carlo random number generation can not only solve the problem of quantitative analysis of inerting system, but can also avoid the defects of complicated solution and inaccurate solution caused by the large number of minimum cut sets, and its calculation results have good reliability.

Practical implications

The research results of this paper can be used as supporting evidence for airworthiness compliance of airborne inerting system.

Originality/value

The research results of this paper can provide practical guidance for the current civil airworthiness certification work.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 August 2023

Hasim Kafali and İbrahim Güçlü

In this context, this study aims to obtain information about the noise levels emitted to the environment by modeling the noise map of Dalaman Airport and correlating these noise…

Abstract

Purpose

In this context, this study aims to obtain information about the noise levels emitted to the environment by modeling the noise map of Dalaman Airport and correlating these noise values according to the Environmental Noise Directive (END) and World Health Organization (WHO) limits.

Design/methodology/approach

Dalaman Airport Aeronautical Information Publication and 2022 flight data from the airport were analyzed. The noise levels exposed to schools and health institutions were determined using the Cnossos–Eu calculation method.

Findings

Maximum noise levels were obtained as Lden 92.29 dB(A), Lday 85.24 dB(A), Levening 89.00 dB(A) and Lnight 85.23 dB(A) according to the noise indicators. Limit values recommended by the END and WHO according to noise indicator types and measurement results were correlated and evaluated.

Originality/value

In the noise modeling of Dalaman Airport, there has previously been no evaluation of the noise limits recommended according to END or WHO in the literature.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 September 2023

Tahmineh Raoofi and Sahin Yasar

This study aims to elaborate on the existing link between maintenance practices and the digital world while also highlighting any unaddressed potential for digital transformation…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to elaborate on the existing link between maintenance practices and the digital world while also highlighting any unaddressed potential for digital transformation in aircraft maintenance. Additionally, explore how digital technologies contribute to optimizing efficiency within the continuing airworthiness management (CAM) processes.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review was performed to provide a precise review of the authority regulations on CAM processes and existing literature on digital transformation, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, neural network and big data in civil aircraft maintenance and continuing airworthiness processes. This method is used to organize, analyze and structure the body of literature to identify research gaps in the selected scope of the study.

Findings

The high position of digital technologies in preventive and predictive maintenance and the need for legislative development for using them in CAM are emphasized. Moreover, it is shown in which area of CAM scientific research has been performed regarding the application of frontier digital technologies. In addition, the gaps between maintenance practices and the digital world, along with the potential scopes of digital transformation which has not been well addressed, are identified. And finally, how digital technologies can effectively increase efficiency in CAM processes is discussed.

Originality/value

To the best of our knowledge, no study comprehensively determined the body of existing knowledge on the aspects of digitalization related to the field of continuing airworthiness management and aircraft maintenance. The results of this study provide a positive contribution to airlines, policymakers, manufacturers and maintenance organizations achieving additional benefits from the implementation of digital technologies in the CAM processes.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 March 2023

Xiaonan Chen, Shiyong Chu, Guanglin Zhang, Xuanyou Chen, Jun Huang and Mingxu Yi

General aviation aircraft has a wide range of applications, and effective cost management is one of the hot spots in the research of general aviation manufacturers. The purpose of…

Abstract

Purpose

General aviation aircraft has a wide range of applications, and effective cost management is one of the hot spots in the research of general aviation manufacturers. The purpose of this paper is to build a flexible engineering method to predict maintenance cost of general aviation aircraft.

Design/methodology/approach

To establish a reasonable general aviation aircraft maintenance cost prediction model, it is necessary to analyze the influencing factors and extract the main components of maintenance cost. The maintenance cost is divided by engineering method, and the estimation model of each component cost is established. Then, the general aviation aircraft maintenance cost model is obtained. The results show that the relative error of this method is between 13% and 20%, which has a good estimation accuracy and can be effectively used to estimate the maintenance cost of general aviation aircraft.

Findings

The maintenance cost plays an important role in the life cycle cost of general aviation aircraft. Accurate cost prediction method is of great significance to the optimal design of general aviation aircraft. However, there are few prediction models suitable for maintenance cost, the proposed approach is meaningful and quite desirable.

Originality/value

To some extent, this method overcomes the shortage of the work on maintenance cost prediction for general aviation aircraft. The model established in this paper has certain generality, which can provide some reference for general aviation aircraft design and operation enterprises.

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 95 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1748-8842

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 6 June 2023

Tamilla Curtis and Dawna L. Rhoades

The low-cost carrier's model made remarkable gains across the globe in the prior decade, although growth was uneven domestically and intraregionally. Within this region, there are…

Abstract

The low-cost carrier's model made remarkable gains across the globe in the prior decade, although growth was uneven domestically and intraregionally. Within this region, there are significant differences in overall country size, the size of the domestic aviation market, and the number of carriers serving the market. The largest and most developed market is in Russia, but rest of the region also experienced growth in economy airlines' activity as they discovered the power of the model to expand aviation access and lower costs. The success of low-cost carriers, however, has been halting and hampered by government decisions on foreign investment, ownership, and leasing. Still, some carriers have been able to grow and achieve gains over rivals. The recent Russian-Ukrainian war has further complicated the situation.

Details

Airlines and Developing Countries
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-861-4

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