The Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL) at the Georgia Institute of Technology has completed another phase of an aircraft-level investigation project for energy optimized aircraft and equipment systems utilizing Pacelab APD. This conceptual aircraft design tool developed by leading knowledge based engineering software provider PACE supports the modeling, synthesis and analysis of diverse aircraft configurations.

Pacelab APD's core functionality was easily extended by the GA Tech research team to include customized functionality for the design of aircraft systems architectures. The ASDL Grand Challenge project focused on improved methodologies for modeling the installation and use of more electric components within commercial airframe sub-systems and analyzing the impact on weight, energy use, and vehicle performance. The project was in direct support of the AIAA program committee for the Energy Optimized Aircraft and Equipment Systems (EOASys). EOASys is also complementary to the Air Force's Integrated Vehicle Energy Technology (INVENT) program whose mission is minimize energy and maximize mission capability through the use of more advanced hybrid electric systems.

"With commitment and excellent local support from PACE America, the Pacelab APD software has enabled our graduate research team to bring forward a unique and much needed capability for rapidly modeling air vehicle sub-system architectures in the power systems domain," states Dr. Dimitri Mavris, ASDL director and Boeing Professor of Advanced Aerospace Systems Analysis in Georgia Tech's School of Aerospace Engineering.

"This has tremendous potential to help our aerospace customers to quickly evaluate sub-system architectures that affect things like energy flow and waste throughout the vehicle. Additionally, this capability will drive a deeper understanding of how placement of critical components within candidate architectures can be optimized with regards to thermal issues, sizing, mission performance or failure modes in conventional or non-vehicles like UAS," states Glenn Reis, a PACE America executive.

In a continuing effort to raise industry awareness of this important capability, PACE America will be presenting a series of technical webinars focusing on systems architectural development and its application for commercial aircraft and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). As part of this series, guest speaker John Nairus, Chief Engineer of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Propulsion Directorate, will present AFRL's INVENT program for the development of the energy optimized aircraft. Interested parties can register on the company website http://www.pacelab.com.