Automation of a Thin-Layer Load-Bearing Structure Design on the Example of High Altitude Long Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (HALE UAV)

Wojciech Skarka,Andrzej Jałowiecki

doi:10.3390/app11062645

Abstract

In the aerospace industry, thin-layer composites are increasingly used for load-bearing structures. When designing such composite structures, particular attention must be paid to the development of an appropriate geometric form of the structure to increase the structure’s load capacity and reduce the possibility of a loss of stability and harmful aeroelastic phenomena. For this reason, the use of knowledge-based engineering support methods is complicated. Software was developed to propose and quickly evaluate a thin-layer load-bearing structure using generative modeling methods to facilitate development of the initial concept of an aerospace load-bearing structure. Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis verifies and improves such structures. The most important contributions of the paper are a methodology for automating the design of ultralight and highly flexible aircraft structures with the use of generative modelling, proposing and verifying the form of generative models for selected fragments of the structure, especially wings, and integration of the use of generative models for iterative improvement of structures using low- and middle-fidelity methods of numerical verification.

Highlights

Composite materials are increasingly used in ultralight aerospace designs
The isotropic material model was used, and in the stages the anisotropic model was used for composite materials
The article describes improving a very unusual HALE unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) structure, where subsequent analyses are usually preceded by a labor-intensive rebuilding of the geometric model

Summary

Introduction

Composite load-bearing structures allow design and manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that weigh no more than a dozen kilograms and have wingspans exceeding 20 m. The strength of the composite materials is no longer a noticeable barrier. High-strength composite materials that significantly reduce weight are already widely available. Among the other problems are the use of technologies to produce large-size structures from materials with thicknesses much less than 1 mm, and the challenge of designing large-size structures with extremely thin walls [3]. Forming a highly flexible structure, especially in aviation operating conditions—i.e., significant changes in geometry under varying load conditions—and aeroelastic phenomena associated with the operation of such an arrangement are issues that must be considered [4]. Structural shaping to meet the abovementioned requirements is becoming a fundamental issue. It is essential to analyze the spectrum of possible solutions at the concept and preliminary design stages in such conditions [5,6,7,8,9]

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Results

Conclusion