Automated surface shape optimisation in the MDO project

Abstract

AbstractSurface shape optimisation was one of several topics researched under the multi-disciplinary optimisation (MDO) project. Several project partners participated in this activity which set out to develop, validate and demonstrate a number of technical issues related to automated shape design. Each of the participants brought together in-house and/or commercial analysis tools, a variety of different modelling and optimisation techniques, and common database and model generation methods. The objectives of this work were to validate the methodologies established in the preliminary MDO project phase and to demonstrate the optimisation process when applied to a simplified civil aircraft wing design problem. Several issues were central to the investigation, including alternative means of parametric descriptions for the wing surface shape, alternative optimisation strategies for wing MDO, and the impact of different levels of physical and geometrical modelling on MDO performance and resulting product optima. The outcomes of this work demonstrate the need for advanced analysis tools to be incorporated into aerospace vehicle design problems at a relatively early stage and highlight the dangers of over-simplification of the vehicle model.