Abstract
This paper describes a conceptual feasibility study of a high aspect ratio truss-braced wing configuration. It is known that increased aspect ratios, thinner wings and less sweep angle enable significant drag reduction through natural-laminar-flow. However, it may lead to increased wing weight to avoid aeroelastic issues. Current aspect ratios of conventional aircraft are limited by the structural weight and wing stiffness. To validate the truss-braced high aspect ratio wing concept, the aerodynamics, structural, and weight distribution of a truss-braced natural-laminar-flow composite wing model is firstly created, and the ASTROS (Automated STRuctural Optimization System) software is applied for aeroelastic tailoring optimization. The objective of the study is to minimize the aircraft wing weight, subject to multiple constraints such as structural strength and aeroelastic constraints. The results of this study show that the truss-braced natural-laminar-flow composite wing with high aspect ratio can reduce the fuel consumption significantly compared to the conventional commercial aircraft configuration, and has the great potential in the future commercial aviation market.
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