An AHP-TOPSIS Framework for Evaluating the Compatibility of Aircraft Engine Component Technology Schemes

Evaluating the compatibility of technology schemes for advanced aircraft engine components presents significant challenges, especially when comparing schemes derived from identical top-level specifications but varying in design implementation due to different tools or standards. This paper introduces a structured decision-support framework employing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) combined with the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), specifically tailored for assessing the compatibility of aircraft engine component technology schemes. The expert-driven AHP is utilized to systematically derive priority weights for a multi-dimensional evaluation criteria set reflecting engine technology compatibility requirements. Subsequently, the TOPSIS algorithm ranks the candidate solutions based on their relative performance against these weighted criteria, calculating their Euclidean distance from conceptually ideal and anti-ideal benchmarks. The proposed framework is applied in a detailed case study involving three front fan schemes for an advanced dual variable cycle engine, demonstrating the framework’s practical utility and discriminatory power in identifying the most suitable technical scheme. The results demonstrate the framework’s capability to effectively discriminate between complex technical alternatives, providing robust quantitative support for critical technology selection decisions, thereby enhancing resource allocation efficiency and accelerating the development pathway for future superior aircraft engines.