Lissys releases Boeing 787 analytic performance tool to help measure environmental emission levels
Boeing 787 Dreamliner (photo: Boeing)
Wed 7 Jan 2009 – UK software company Lissys has released an advanced performance modelling tool for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner that enables aeronautical engineers, airline operators, emissions experts or even the layperson to adjust key data to evaluate the new aircraft’s performance, fuel burn and emissions. The release is included with the company’s free Piano-X download. The full Piano database contains over 250 different aircraft models and its data modelling has been used by ICAO and others in the development of airline online carbon calculators.
“The Boeing 787-7 analytic tool is not a frozen design evaluation,” says Dimitri Simos of Lissys. “It is an adjustable professional tool and creates an open standard you can reference as the aircraft evolves long term. For the first time, anyone can extract and share consistent numbers for a new aircraft and access key measures that are rarely stated openly.”
Users can alter design weights, thrust, drag, engine fuel consumption or NOx, carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) emissions levels. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are calculated through fuel burn statistics. Operational Mach numbers, flight levels, reserves and contingency rules can also be set. The model will retain its applicability as new information, such as an anticipated increase in maximum take-off weight, on the aircraft becomes available.
As Lissys points out, prior to actual flight testing and operational assessment of the 787-8 sometime this year, no evaluation can yet be definitive and the company has based its modelling on best estimates of credible medium-to-long term performance goals, but it believes early production line examples will fall significantly short of the reference baseline. Lissys says it is easy to evaluate all performance, fuel burn and emissions consequences of this scenario simply by inputting more accurate corresponding numbers into Piano-X.
“The model is extremely easy to use; it is nonetheless a tool, not a substitute for experience,” says Simos. “Piano-X is an unparalleled, innovative and transparent strategic concept in the world of aircraft analysis. Lissys is pleased to offer this new release to everyone freely.”
The Piano-X free download also includes the Airbus A300-600R and the Fokker F70. For other aircraft models, prices start at £1,950 ($3,000) per single aircraft file or £17,600 ($26,500) for the full database of over 250 aircraft types.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) made extensive use of Piano information when developing its carbon emissions calculator released in April 2008. However, Simos is no fan of airline carbon calculators, believing them to be crude and misleading, with variations between airlines on the calculation methods doing little to inspire passenger confidence.
