04.1 - Aerospace Grade Materials, Structural Analysis, Fatigue and Damage Tolerance
TRACING MATERIAL PROPERTIES TO SYSTEM-LEVEL PERFORMANCE: A NORMALISED SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS FOR A BOEING 737-CLASS AIRCRAFT
S. Stekovic¹, P. Krus¹; ¹Linköping University, Sweden
This paper presents a framework for linking material properties to top-level system performance in aircraft de- sign. By formulating a Normalised Sensitivity Matrix (NSM) and an Aggregated Design Impact Matrix (ADIM), the analysis quantifies how fractional variations in material strength, stiffness, density and temperature capa- bility influence payload, range and climb rate. The Boeing 737–800 configuration is used as a representative baseline single-aisle transport, with fixed maximum take-off weight (MTOW), fuel volume and geometry. Air- frame materials primarily influence payload through structural mass: a 1% reduction in structural density yields a 1.14% gain in payload. Hot-section engine materials govern range and climb rate through weight, efficiency and thrust capability. Turbine temperature capability carries the highest single sensitivity in the matrix (S = +1.20 for climb rate). The ADIM confirms a clear disciplinary separation, with airframe materials dominat- ing payload (aggregate impact 2.12) and engine materials dominating climb rate (2.64) and range (0.75). The results demonstrate a direct traceability between material-level parameters and system-level performance met- rics, providing materials engineers with a quantitative understanding of the impact of property improvements at the operational level. The framework is computationally inexpensive, applicable at the conceptual design stage and can be directly used to evaluate emerging materials.