TL;DR:
- The current homogeneity in a commercial airplane and business jet designs is poised for change as AI is being increasingly used in aircraft development.
- AI, with the help of machine learning algorithms, is capable of generating highly optimized designs different from traditional human-made airplanes.
- AI doesn’t follow human patterns in design, potentially optimizing over a broader scope and introducing unique, innovative structures.
- The unique designs created by AI are not meant to replace the current fleet but are used for deriving fresh insights and ideas in aircraft design.
- Future airplanes in 2040 may see changes in the shape of airframes and engines for greater aerodynamic efficiency and reduced emissions.
- Technologies such as generative AI could change design parameters in ways we are just beginning to imagine.
- Additive manufacturing or 3D printing technology is another emerging technology being used in creating more efficient and intriguing aircraft structures.
- Additive manufacturing is more sustainable than traditional subtractive manufacturing, potentially saving 50% or more energy.
- The most significant change by 2040 might be an increased proportion of flights powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) or a blend of SAF and jet-A.
- Current availability of SAF is limited and efforts are being made to expand SAF production and establish a supply chain. This could enable conventional and new aircraft to reduce carbon emissions.
Main AI News:
The landscape of commercial aviation, including business jets, often portrays a lack of variance in design and model, making it challenging for the untrained eye to differentiate between them. The newest additions to the market still share significant resemblances to the earliest prototypes that emerged nearly a hundred years ago. However, this scenario is poised for change as aircraft developers are increasingly turning to artificial intelligence (AI) for innovative design inspirations.
Generative AI models are being employed to explore novel approaches to optimize aircraft design, according to Boeing’s Chief Technology Officer, Todd Citron, during a panel discussion at the Sustainable Aerospace Together Forum hosted by Boeing near Seattle recently. Leveraging machine learning algorithms, AI can absorb the entirety of knowledge on aerodynamics and engineering and rapidly generate a highly optimized design—one that bears no similarity to past human-made airplanes.
When humans are at the helm of design, there’s a tendency to replicate proven patterns, Citron expounded. For instance, the truss structures found in bridges are a consequence of humans repeating a working pattern. A similar principle has governed most airplane designs over the last century. However, when AI is delegated with crafting a design from the ground up, it doesn’t necessarily emulate human engineers’ patterns. “As AI can accommodate more complexity in its electronic brain than a human can, it can optimize over a wider scope,” Citron elucidated.
“Machine learning-optimized structures have a distinct appearance—they somewhat resemble an alien spaceship, as they lack the regular structure that simplifies a design task for a human,” he continued. “So, the aesthetics of the designs will evolve as we incorporate this, and that’s what we’re doing today.” Although Boeing doesn’t have plans to replace its fleet with these ‘alien spaceships,’ engineers can leverage the unique AI-generated designs to derive fresh insights and brainstorm unconventional ideas when designing aircraft and their varied components.
When asked to visualize how new airplanes would appear in 2040, Citron predicted alterations in the airframes’ and engines’ configuration. “The wings may appear quite slender, based on the work [Boeing is] conducting in collaboration with NASA to boost aerodynamic efficiency, which translates to reduced emissions,” he noted. “The engines might sport a different look, and you might witness a large open-rotor fan that drives superior efficiency and lower emissions. So, I foresee a variety of technologies emerging during that period.”
Kirsten Rose, Executive Director of Future Industries at CSIRO, Australia’s government science agency, concurred that by 2040, airplanes would likely assume a vastly different appearance. During the panel discussion, she indicated that new technologies—especially generative AI—could modify design parameters “in ways that we’re just beginning to envision.” The aerospace industry at present is “just beginning to grasp the potential for optimization, which will propel efficiency in design parameters and such,” she expressed. “So, I believe we’ll start witnessing the influence absolutely in the design and the improvements of existing and new aircraft.”
AI is not the sole emerging technology revolutionizing the design of new aircraft. Boeing and other manufacturers have begun exploiting additive manufacturing or 3-D printing technology, to fabricate aircraft components and tools more efficiently. Coupled with AI and advancements in additive manufacturing, “we’ll observe even more intriguing structures,” remarked NASA Chief Technologist AC Charania during the sustainability forum.
Citron highlighted that additive manufacturing is substantially more sustainable than conventional or “subtractive” manufacturing, wherein components are crafted by chiseling out large chunks of raw materials—a procedure that generates considerable waste. With subtractive manufacturing, “you’re expending a lot of energy in discarding material. By contrast, additive involves progressive material addition. The energy savings is 50 percent or more, hence inherent sustainability emerges from that.”
While future airplanes are expected to demonstrate heightened efficiency in terms of manufacturing and operation, the most significant transformation we can expect to see by 2040 may not necessarily be a visible change to the passengers. By that time, it is hoped that a higher proportion of flights will be powered by sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), or at least a mixture of SAF and jet-A, as the panelists concurred.
Currently, the availability of SAF is highly restricted, with supplies only present at a few airports globally. As efforts to expand SAF production and establish a supply chain continue, both existing conventional airplanes and new designs will be capable of utilizing this alternative fuel source, leading to a reduction in carbon emissions.
Conlcusion:
The adoption of AI in aircraft design and the rise of additive manufacturing technologies are poised to revolutionize the commercial aviation industry. This transition could lead to the creation of highly optimized, efficient, and innovative aircraft models, potentially disrupting existing market norms and leading to new competitive dynamics.
Moreover, the move towards sustainable aviation fuel suggests a market trend towards environmental responsibility, likely creating new opportunities for producers of such fuels and for technologies enabling their use. It’s clear that businesses in the aviation industry, from manufacturers to airlines, will need to adapt to these emerging technologies and sustainability trends to maintain competitiveness in the evolving market landscape.
