A Multi-Scale Computational Framework for Evaluating Technology Impacts on Future Aircraft Fleets
Abstract
Future aircraft technologies promise significant improvements in efficiency, but their benefits cannot be fully understood through aircraft-level analysis alone. New aircraft enter service into mixed fleets, where legacy aircraft and operational constraints can mask the benefits of new technology. Additionally, the breadth of possible technologies, such as advanced aerodynamic concepts or novel propulsion systems, makes it difficult to prioritize the combinations with the greatest long-term impact. Early design decisions must therefore consider not only system-level performance changes but also how those changes propagate into long-term fleet behavior. This paper presents the Fleet Level Operations And Technology Integration Environment (FLOATIE) that integrates physics-based aircraft performance modeling with fleet evolution and scenario management to assess how new technologies influence individual aircraft, operational performance, and fleet fuel burn. In this paper we outline the methodologies and framework used to develop FLOATIE and present an illustrative A320neo-like fleet case study. At the aircraft level, a representative next-generation concept shows up to 32% mission fuel-burn reduction at long-range and maximum-passenger conditions compared with the notional A320neo baseline. However, under the assumed traffic growth and fleet adoption scenario, the aggressive technology fleet reduces fuel burn by 21% relative to a frozen-technology reference by 2060. The results demonstrate how mission-level benefits are diluted by fleet turnover and demand growth, supporting the use of multi-scale assessment during early design phases.
Emma Cassidy
PhD Student and Graduate Research Assistant
Emma is a PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan and works as a Graduate Student Research Assistant in the IDEAS Lab. Her research interests are sustainable aviation, experimental aircraft design, and commercial aircraft operations.
