Computer Technology
Aircraft Design Software
Designing new civil air transportation has been made far easier thanks
to aircraft design software that inspects, modifies, and integrates the
engineering analysis process.
In the 1970s, Ames Research Center initiated an endeavor to greatly
improve the conceptual design process. A software tool was developed to
give aircraft builders the information they needed to rapidly and accurately
forecast during early design phases an aircraft's performance and cost,
even the noise it would generate.
Working closely with airframe and engine manufacturers, Ames formulated
the AirCraft SYNThesis (ACSYNT) tool. In 1987, Ames and the Virginia Polytechnic
Institute (Tech) CAD Laboratory in Blacksburg, Virginia, began to design
and code a computer-aided design system for ACSYNT. In 1990, using a Joint
Sponsored Research Agreement (JSRA), Ames formed an industry-government-university
alliance to improve and foster research and development for the ACSYNT
software. This ACSYNT Institute allowed NASA and Virginia Tech to develop
and improve computer -aided aircraft design while receiving immediate feedback
from industry users of ACSYNT software. American Technology Initiative
(AmTech) of Menlo Park, California served as the organizing body for the
JSRA, administrating contractual and licensing agreements.
The result? ACSYNT is becoming a predominant software tool for aircraft
conceptual design. Moreover, this historical connection with the "customer"
provided the foundation for commercializing ACSYNT.
ACSYNT Institute members included NASA's Ames, Lewis and Langley Research
Centers and the Naval Weapons Center, as well as major U.S. airframe and
engine manufacturers such as Boeing Commercial Airplane, Boeing Helicopter,
General Electric Aircraft Engine, Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas, Northrop
and Cessna. This alliance lets NASA pool funds and other resources with
industry members to support strengthening of the software's capabilities.
These enhancements were performed by the space agency and Virginia Tech
CAD Laboratory.
| Using ACSYNT by Phoenix Integration,
aircraft designers may enter the dimensions of components and have surfaces
created automatically. |
From 1987 into 1995, the resulting ACSYNT research and development helped
to shape and energize a market for a commercialization effort and the spawning
of a new company.
Successful commercialization of ACSYNT has manifested itself in the
creation of Phoenix Integration, Inc. of Blacksburg, Virginia. ACSYNT has
been exclusively licensed to Phoenix Integration, an outcome of a seven
year, $3 million effort to provide unique software technology to a focused
design engineering market.
ACSYNT has become a top-notch conceptual level aircraft design tool
that provides a 3D computer-aided design (CAD) environment coupled with
detailed analysis capabilities. An aircraft concept can be quickly modeled
in the CAD interface, and then analyzed using a suite of multidisciplinary
modules representing aerodynamic, propulsion, and mission performance parameters.
ACSYNT has been successfully applied to high-speed civil transport configurations,
subsonic transports, and supersonic fighters.
Phoenix Integration is now marketing, distributing, enhancing and maintaining
ACSYNT. The start-up firm has already pioneered Dynamic Integration System™
(DIS) technology, as well as an extensive set of easy-to-use, motif -based
tools that interact with any analysis that supports the DIS interface.
It is a Phoenix Integration credo that streamlining the engineering
process through more advanced design tools is critical in today's demanding
and competitive world. However, recent trends in down-sizing have meant
many engineering firms cannot afford to pay engineers to spend time developing
software. Phoenix Integration has tackled this dilemma by offering software
specifically designed for engineers and at costs far below that if the
software was created from inside a company.
Research and development of ACSYNT which, in turn, led to this successful
commercialization story, is a blend of innovative technology, a viable
market, and leadership to direct the effort.
™ Dynamic Integration System is a trademark of Phoenix Integration,
Inc.
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