Aeroelastic Optimization Design of the Global Stiffness for a Joined Wing Aircraft

Xuyang Li,Chao Yang,Zhiqiang Wan,Xiaozhe Wang

doi:10.3390/app112411800

Abstract

Due to the complexity and particularity of the joined wing layout, traditional design methods for the global stiffness of a high-aspect wing are not applicable for a joined wing. Herein, a beam-frame model and a three-dimensional wing-box model are built to solve the global stiffness aeroelastic optimization design problem for a joined wing. The goal is to minimize the weight, and the constraints are the overall aeroelastic requirements. Based on a genetic algorithm, two methods for the beam-frame model and one method for the three-dimensional model are used for comparative analysis. The results show that the optimization method for a diagonal beam section and the optimization method for an exponential/linear combination function fit are adequate for optimizing and designating the joined wing global stiffness. The distributions obtained using the two methods have good consistency and are similar to the distribution of the three-dimensional model. The stiffness distribution data and the beam section parameters can be converted from each other, which is convenient for redesigning the structure parameters using the stiffness distribution data, and is valuable for engineering applications.

Highlights

Aircraft design includes complex aeroelastic problems; it is necessary to use structural optimization techniques for a compromising primary design scheme, in order to solve issues related to the coupling between different disciplines, e.g., structural, aerodynamics, control, etc., and meeting aeroelastic performance requirements
The connection between the front wing and the rear wing leads to dissimilarity in the structural and aerodynamic characteristics compared with a traditional layout, and the interconnected wings form a complex overconstrained system, which increases the difficulty of analysis and increases the design space of different disciplines [6,7]
In order to solve this problem, this paper introduces three different aeroelastic optimization methods in the pr2e.lMimaitneariraylstaangde Mtoedtehsoidgns the stiffness of the joined wing

Summary

Introduction

Aircraft design includes complex aeroelastic problems; it is necessary to use structural optimization techniques for a compromising primary design scheme, in order to solve issues related to the coupling between different disciplines, e.g., structural, aerodynamics, control, etc., and meeting aeroelastic performance requirements. The connection between the front wing and the rear wing leads to dissimilarity in the structural and aerodynamic characteristics compared with a traditional layout, and the interconnected wings form a complex overconstrained system, which increases the difficulty of analysis and increases the design space of different disciplines [6,7]. This leads to integrated design changes becoming the key problem, as the authors in [8] noted that basic aeroelastic investigations must be introduced early in the design process of a joined-wing aircraft, and a stiffness distribution design is necessary

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion