Abstract

The Electrical Wiring Interconnection System is a complex system that contributes significantly to overall aircraft weight but is often not considered in early design stages. With increasing electrification and novel aircraft configurations, there is a growing need for improved wire routing and weight estimation during the conceptual design phase. This thesis proposes a method for automated wire routing, wire length estimation, and wire weight estimation, with sufficient precision, thereby enabling the investigation of different component placements within a multi-disciplinary design analysis and optimization framework. The presented automated wire routing tool utilizes simplified routing models and parametric geometric information to estimate wire length, eliminating the need for detailed geometric models. The tool computes the shortest feasible routing path between components while satisfying constraints such as segregation, electromagnetic separation, bend radius, and obstacle avoidance. The path between the two components is computed using the A* (A-star) path-finding algorithm, resulting in an estimated wire length. Using this wire length, the power feeders are sized according to industry standards, and the wire weight is estimated. A representative case study of the communication and flap control systems demonstrates that wire length can be estimated with an acceptable average relative error of approximately 12% for conventional aircraft configurations when validated with actual aircraft manufacturers' data. In addition, a case study on a blended-wing-body aft-equipment-bay demonstrates that the developed method is robust for unconventional aircraft configurations. Overall, the presented method and tool enable efficient trade-offs in component layout configurations in the early design stages of aircraft development.