A System Architecture for the Digital Thread in Commercial Airplane Design
Name
herrero-herreroj-sm-sdm-2022-thesis.pdf
Description
Thesis PDF
Size
13.98 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
80b2df6d6f0a2caa07e51713908e1227
Author(s)
Herrero, Javier
Advisor(s)
Cameron, Bruce G.
Date Issued
February 2022
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
A Digital Thread for Airplane Design (DTAD) is a high-impact opportunity to deliver competitive value from shortening product development times and allowing further refinements in product performance. This thesis presents first a study based on historical records, of the economic benefits from a DTAD which were found to be a significant fraction of the forecasted total program development cost. After a comparative analysis of previously implemented architectures, a qualitative selection method was used to rate them against a baseline composed of the most advanced features present in each implementation.
An innovative concept for the DTAD was constructed, based on the pattern called “microservices” distributed deployment, an evolved version of the SOA (serviceoriented architecture) concept. Key features of the architecture proposed, are high Cloud compatibility, robust deployability of MBE-tools (model-based engineering), loose coupling of services, and data modeling based on knowledge graphs. Next, an innovative design for the API (application programable interface), backbone of the DTAD, is proposed based on the key paradigm of the Task Based Organization of Objects (TaBOO), for a configuration control capability that emulates contemporary version-control practices in software development. Finally, a prototype DTAD was implemented with positive results, to demonstrate the validity of the concept by using it in a simulation of a simplified trade study, typical of the conceptual design stage in airplane programs.
MIT Department
System Design and Management Program.
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