Abstract

This paper presents a method for wing aerostructural analysis and optimization, which needs much lower computational costs, while computes the wing drag and structural deformation with a level of accuracy comparable to the higher fidelity CFD and FEM tools. A quasi-three-dimensional aerodynamic solver is developed and connected to a finite beam element model for wing aerostructural optimization. In a quasi-three-dimensional approach an inviscid incompressible vortex lattice method is coupled with a viscous compressible airfoil analysis code for drag prediction of a three dimensional wing. The accuracy of the proposed method for wing drag prediction is validated by comparing its results with the results of a higher fidelity CFD analysis. The wing structural deformation as well as the stress distribution in the wingbox structure is computed using a finite beam element model. The Newton method is used to solve the coupled system. The sensitivities of the outputs, for example the wing drag, with respect to the inputs, for example the wing geometry, is computed by a combined use of the coupled adjoint method, automatic differentiation and the chain rule of differentiation. A gradient based optimization is performed using the proposed tool for minimizing the fuel weight of an A320 class aircraft. The optimization resulted in more than 10 % reduction in the aircraft fuel weight by optimizing the wing planform and airfoils shape as well as the wing internal structure.

Highlights

  • Selection of the fidelity of analysis in a complex multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) such as wing aerostructural optimization is a challenge

  • This paper presents a method for wing aerostructural analysis and optimization, which needs much lower computational costs, while computes the wing drag and structural deformation with a level of accuracy comparable to the higher fidelity CFD and FEM tools

  • A higher fidelity Euler code is used by Maute et al (2001) for wing aerostructural optimization

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Summary

Introduction

Selection of the fidelity of analysis in a complex multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) such as wing aerostructural optimization is a challenge. A higher fidelity Euler code is used by Maute et al (2001) for wing aerostructural optimization They did not implement any method (semi-empirical or boundary layer method) for viscous drag prediction. An interesting way to compute wing drag with sufficient level of accuracy and low computational cost is to combine twodimensional viscous airfoil data with an inviscid threedimensional wing lift calculation This approach is named quasi-three-dimensional (Q3D) analysis. The Q3D approach for drag estimation, which can be counted as medium level of fidelity, is a very useful technique for aircraft design and optimization in early design stages Using this approach the aerodynamic characteristics of an aircraft can be estimated with much higher accuracy than semi-empirical methods, while the computational time is much lower than high fidelity three-dimensional analysis. This tool can be integrated with other aircraft design disciplines such as flight dynamics and performance for aircraft optimization in conceptual and preliminary design steps

Aerodynamic analysis
Structural analysis
Solving the coupled system
Sensitivity analysis
Aircraft performance analysis
Validation
Objective funcion Constraint violation
Findings
Conclusion
Full Text
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