DESIGN OF TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT FOR THE FUTURE

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, GUINDY

ANNA UNIVERSITY Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

FACULTY ADVISOR Dr. E. Natarajan AUTHORS Anusha R (III year, B. E. Mechanical Engineering) Srinath S (II year, B.E. Geoinformatics) 25th April, 2008

Abstract

Aircraft design is a multidisciplinary problem involving all aspects of engineering. Designing a good aircraft for the future is a challenging task. A multitude of factors like safety, fuel efficiency, environmental impact, economics among many others play pivotal roles in the design of aircraft. This paper focuses on the development of the next generation aircraft that attempts to solve each of the problems that present day aircraft poses. The problems with today’s operational aircrafts are discussed and alternative solutions are proposed. The adaptation of the basic structure of the proposed design from the tube & wing configuration to the Blended Wing Body (BWB) in itself is a huge deviation from conventional aircraft design. The BWB offers several key advantages over the conventional design that makes it ideal as a future aircraft for general transport. Among the advantages offered by the BWB design are significant improvements in fuel efficiency, reduction in noise, more space, short take-offs and landings, etc. The paper also includes a discussion on the other additional features that an aircraft can have for further noise reduction. An analysis on the possible alternative fuels that could be used for the aircraft has been done considering the scenario after 50 years. The issues that arise out of the BWB design are also discussed and possible solutions to the issues are suggested. It is important for any new design to demonstrate itself as an economically viable concept and therefore cost estimates for the proposed design are listed. Three scenarios for the potential use of this vehicle in the year 2058 are also discussed. Safety is of paramount importance for the success of an aircraft and therefore the paper also includes a brief discussion on it. The design incorporates all the current advancements in aeronautics and also, considering that this design is for a period, fifty years from now, suitable assumptions about the availability of certain key technologies are made. These include improvements in manufacturing technology, development of stronger carbon fiber composites, better computational capabilities and so on.

Declaration by supervising faculty

I affirm that the whole of this work has been originally done by the students Anusha R and Srinath S under my guidance.

Dr. E. Natarajan