Similarity-based product family design for aero-engine components

The transition into sustainable solutions necessitates the integration of new technologies into aero-engine systems. However, large technological leaps entail increased risks, as designers are required to explore design space regions in which previous experience is lacking. To mitigate high uncertainties, it can be useful to maintain a degree of similarity to already proven solutions, while still integrating new technologies. In this paper, a method is proposed for enabling designers to reduce the uncertainties of new design concepts. Through the application of similarity metrics, design concepts can be identified that integrate new technologies, while at the same time sharing characteristics with previous designs. Thus, new solutions can be explored while maintaining a degree of overlap with the well-understood regions of design space, resulting in reduced uncertainties. To demonstrate this method, a scenario is explored where additive manufacturing is considered for manufacturing a turbine rear structure. A tool, MDAC, is used to calculate and visualize the similarities between design alternatives.