A Systems Engineering Approach to the Application of Multidisciplinary Design, Analysis and Optimization (MDAO) for Efficient Supersonic Air-Vehicle Exploration (ESAVE)

Abstract

Incorporating Multidisciplinary Optimization (MDO) into the aircraft design process shows great promise as a means to significantly reduce design cycle time and improve design robustness, particularly during the early phases of concept exploration, design and development. The discussion of approaches for applying MDO capabilities often focus on considerations for the theoretical, computational and optimization frameworks. Strategies for integrating these approaches to improve industry based system engineering processes are also of key interest. The Air Force Research Laboratory Multidisciplinary Science and Technology Center (MSTC) seeks to develop design capabilities that integrate multiple technical disciplines. The envisioned payoff will mitigate adverse performance impact with unwanted or unanticipated systems interactions and will proactively enable the discovery and exploitation of new phenomena for the development of revolutionary aerospace vehicles. Beginning in late 2010, the MSTC solicited industry to participate in a new program, Efficient Supersonic Air-Vehicle Exploration (ESAVE) to develop and implement a MDO based design process to explore the design space for future Air Force supersonic vehicles with fighter/strike like capabilities. Results from the first 6 months of this Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems effort are presented, including a description of an MDO-based architecture & design process, the tools and integration environment and a discussion of potential roadblocks that could impede the MDO process.