Browse Topic: Quality function deployment
The work performed for the Adaptive Resilient Engineered Structures (ARES) program sponsored by the U.S. Army constitutes a trade study and resulting proposal for a structural demonstrator platform. The trade study was conducted using the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) process and a subsequent Artificial Intelligence (AI) exercise to find clusters of technologies for structural efficiency and resilience from Boeing's internal research activities. From a selection of approximately 150 technologies at different TRLs, Boeing subject matter experts (SMEs) for structural technologies identified several characteristics that could potentially determine the development of ARES structural demonstrator. Through the QFD process, the list of technologies was down selected about 50 unique technologies for consideration. The next stage of the QFD process entailed in identifying 37 different attributes or criteria long which each of these technologies would be assessed. They were grouped under two different categories: vehicle performance criteria and program performance criteria. Importance scores were provided by the SMEs independently and then a statistical approach for AI was used to distill them to 9 significant ones (labeled as 'Pillars') and a further distillation to 3 significant features (labeled as 'Super Metrics'). Clustering algorithms were then employed to group the set of technologies that could provide the resiliency targets sought for the demonstrator platform. The clusters were compared a hypothetical ideal platform to determine suitability and finally, 12 technologies merited attention toward the stated goals of the demonstrator platform.
Evading traffic congestion by personal flying vehicle is still a far fetched dream. Recent advancements in predicting divergence speeds of slung loads using the Continuous Rotation Method (CRM) of airloads measurement has made is possible to obtain complete aerodynamic load maps of objects. In turn this enables on-the-fly system identification and dynamics predictions to ensure safety and smooth rides with slung loads. A concept is proposed for an air-lift service which can transport people with their personal road vehicles over congested areas. QFD and OEC analyses are used to compare different VTOL options for such a system. A pure conventional helicopter with internal or external carriage, a quadrotor, a lighter-than-air (LTA) platform with a quadrotor, and an LTA with cycloidal rotors are compared. The last two are found to be feasible, with only the LTA-cycloidal meeting all requirements when downwash and noise constraints are imposed. A streamlined carriage concept with aerodynamic control surfaces is suggested. A HUMVEE is used as an example where aerodynamic load mapping has been done, and the data used in predicting dynamics. This shows how to estimate the speed constraints to keep oscillations below specified levels, and verify the safety of the flight envelope.
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