A generic life cycle assessment tool for overall aircraft design

The integration of environmental considerations from early design stages is essential for the aerospace industry to address the environmental emergency. To date, the implementation of life cycle assessments (LCAs) into aircraft design tools relies on simplified models, limiting their applicability and potential for exploration. This paper presents a configurable environmental module applicable to a range of aircraft, from small drones to commercial airliners. The module is also designed to address future uses through prospective analysis. The proposed methodology is implemented as a dedicated component within an overall aircraft design framework, making full use of multidisciplinary design analysis and optimisation (MDAO) capabilities. This implementation allows the exploration of environmental impacts in relation to aircraft architecture choices, sizing objectives, operational missions and fuel types. A key finding is that the environmental performance of battery-powered aircraft cannot be solely determined by the carbon intensity of electricity. Rather, it results from a trade-off between manufacturing, improvements in energy efficiency, and mass penalties associated with electric powertrains. Another interesting result is that operating a typical commercial aircraft far from its design point can increase its climate impact per passenger-kilometre by 80 %. Nevertheless, the proposed approach faces limitations regarding availability and accuracy of LCA data. This includes end-of-life and recycling inventories specific to novel aviation technologies, and impact assessment methods adapted for high-altitude emissions. The genericity of the methodology establishes a foundation for more robust and comprehensive exploration of the environmental challenges of aviation, from identifying promising technologies to the sectoral assessment of transition scenarios.