Parallelized structural topology optimization and CFD coupling for design of aircraft wing structures

A set of structural optimization tools are presented for topology optimization of aircraft wing structures coupled with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analyses. The topology optimization tool used for design is the material distribution technique. Because reducing the weight requires numerous calculations, the CFD and structural optimization codes are parallelized and coupled via a code/mesh coupling scheme. In this study, the algorithms used and the results obtained are presented for topology design of a wing cross-section under a given critical aerodynamic loading and two different spar positions to determine the optimum rib topology.     

Optimal design of wing structures with substructuring

An iterative method for optimal design of large scale structures that incorporates the concept of substructuring is extensively applied to wing-type structures to demonstrate its generality, effectiveness and efficiency. Optimum designs for several wing-type structures are obtained and compared with results available in the literature. It is shown that considerable efficiencies can be achieved by integration of the substructuring concept into a structural optimization algorithm.     

Self-tuning regulator design for adaptive control of aircraft wing/store flutter

The application of the self-tuning regulator concept to adaptively control aircraft wing/store flutter instability is described. A simple design based on a reduced-order aircraft model has been successfully tested on a high-order simulation of an advanced aircraft, and performance was found to be comparable to another design using on-line maximum likelihood identification of plant parameters. The main advantage of the self-tuning regulator is its simplicity, while the main disadvantage is the inadequacy of prior performance guarantees.     

Optimal design of aircraft structures with damage tolerance requirements

Damage tolerance analysis (DTA) was considered in the global design optimization of an aircraft wing structure. Residual strength and fatigue life requirements, based on the damage tolerance philosophy, were investigated as new design constraints. The global/local finite element approach allowed local fatigue requirements to be considered in the global design optimization. AFGROW fatigue crack growth analysis provided a new strength criterion for satisfying damage tolerance requirements within a global optimization environment. Initial research with the ASTROS program used this damage tolerance constraint to optimize cracked skin panels on the lower wing of a fighter/attack aircraft. For an aerodynamic and structural model of this type of aircraft, ASTROS simulated symmetric and asymmetric maneuvers during the optimization. Symmetric maneuvers, without underwing stores, produced the highest stresses and drove the optimization of the inboard lower wing skin. Asymmetric maneuvers, with underwing stores, affected the optimum thickness of the outboard hard points. Subsequent design optimizations included DTA and von Mises stress constraints simultaneously. In the configuration with no stores, the optimization was driven by the DTA constraint and, therefore, DTA requirements can have an active role to play in preliminary aircraft design.     

Automated optimum design of wing structures: A probabilistic approach

The optimization of aircraft wing structures is presented by considering the dynamic stresses developed during landing impact and gust load conditions. The random nature of the sinking speed and the forward velocity at the instant of contact is considered in the calculation of landing stresses. The vertical velocity due to gust is treated as a stochastic process for the computation of gust-induced stresses. The optimum designs of a symmetric double wedge airfoil, based on beam type of analysis, and a supersonic airplane wing, based on finite element analysis, are considered to illustrate the procedure. A graphical procedure is used in the case of the double wedge airfoil, and nonlinear programming techniques are used in the case of the supersonic wing, for finding the optimum solutions.     

The multi-disciplinary design of a large-scale civil aircraft wing taking account of manufacturing costs

This paper presents results from a major research programme funded by the European Union and involving 14 partners from across the Union. It shows how a complex tool set was assembled which was able to optimise a large civil airliner wing for weight, drag and cost. A multi-level MDO process was constructed and implemented through a hierarchical system in which cost comprised the top level. Conventional structural sizing parameters were employed to optimise structural weight but the upper-level optimisation used 6 overall design variables representing major design parameters. The paper concludes by presenting results from a case study which included all the components of the total design system.     

Expert system application on preliminary design of water retaining structures

Design of liquid retaining structures involves many decisions to be made by the designer based on rules of thumb, heuristics, judgment, code of practice and previous experience. Various design parameters to be chosen include configuration, material, loading, etc. A novice engineer may face many difficulties in the design process. Recent developments in artificial intelligence and emerging field of knowledge-based system (KBS) have made widespread applications in different fields. However, no attempt has been made to apply this intelligent system to the design of liquid retaining structures. The objective of this study is, thus, to develop a KBS that has the ability to assist engineers in the preliminary design of liquid retaining structures. Moreover, it can provide expert advice to the user in selection of design criteria, design parameters and optimum configuration based on minimum cost. The development of a prototype KBS for the design of liquid retaining structures (LIQUID), using blackboard architecture with hybrid knowledge representation techniques including production rule system and object-oriented approach, is presented in this paper. An expert system shell, Visual Rule Studio, is employed to facilitate the development of this prototype system.     

The relevance of reliability-based topology optimization in early design stages of aircraft structures

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization - This paper aims to compare the structural designs derived from Deterministic Topology Optimization (DTO) and Reliability-Based Topology Optimization...     

飞翼飞行器的操纵面故障自适应补偿控制

本文针对具有操纵面卡死、失效故障以及执行器饱和的飞翼飞行器纵向运动,考虑系统的预定动态性能,提出了一种自适应反步补偿跟踪控制方案.设计预定动态性能(prescribed performance bound,PPB)边界以保证系统的跟踪误差,采用二阶指令滤波器限制执行器的饱和,通过控制分配避免执行器故障后对横侧向运动的影响.所设计的自适应反步补偿跟踪控制律能够保证系统对参考信号的渐近跟踪.仿真结果表明了本文方法的有效性.     

Integrated aerodynamic-structural-control wing design

The aerodynamic-structural-control design of a forward-swept composite wing for a high subsonic transport aircraft is considered. The structural analysis is based on a finite-element method. The aerodynamic calculations are based on a vortex-lattice method, and the control calculations are based on an output feed-back control law. The wing is designed for minimum weight subject to structural, performance/aerodynamic and control constraints. Efficient techniques are developed to calculate the control-deflection and control-effectiveness sensitivities which appear as second-order derivatives in the control constraint equations. To suppress the aeroelastic divergence of the forward-swept wing, and to minimize the take-off gross weight of the design aircraft, two separate cases are studied: (1) combined application of aeroelastic tailoring and active controls; and (2) aeroelastic tailoring alone. For the particular example problem considered in this study, the aeroelastic tailoring was found to have a substantially greater influence than active controls on weight minimization and divergence suppression.     

Graphical and text-based design interfaces for parameter design of an I-beam,desk lamp,aircraft wing,and job shop manufacturing system

In this paper we describe four design optimization problems and corresponding design interfaces that have been developed to help assess the impact of fast, graphical interfaces for design space visualization and optimization. The design problems involve the design of an I-beam, desk lamp, aircraft wing, and job shop manufacturing system. The problems vary in size from 2 to 6 inputs and 2 to 7 outputs, where the outputs are formulated as either a multiobjective optimization problem or a constrained, single objective optimization problem. Graphical and text-based design interfaces have been developed for the I-beam and desk lamp problems, and two sets of graphical design interfaces have been developed for the aircraft wing and job shop design problems that vary in the number of input variables and analytical complexity, respectively. Response delays ranging from 0.0 to 1.5 s have been imposed in the interfaces to mimic computationally expensive analyses typical of complex engineering design problems, allowing us to study the impact of delay on user performance. In addition to describing each problem, we discuss the experimental methods that we use, including the experimental factors, performance measures, and protocol. The focus in this paper is to publicize and share our design interfaces as well as our insights with other researchers who are developing tools to support design space visualization and exploration.     

Assessment of pilot performance and mental workload in rotary wing aircraft

This research examined the processing demands imposed upon experienced pilots by two different communication formats, digital and verbal, in a high fidelity simulation of an advanced multi-function helicopter. The mental workload imposed by die type and magnitude of communications was assessed by a battery of subjective, performance, secondary, and physiological measures. The performance data indicated that the pilots had difficulty adhering to the Nap of the Earth altitude criterion with high communication demands, particularly with the digital communication system. This was presumably due to the requirement to spend more time scanning the multi-function displays with the digital than with the verbal communication system. On the other hand, the pilots were less prone to task shedding when they used the digital communication system possibly due to the provision of a permanent list of queries that was unavailable with the verbal system. Measures of heart rate variability and blink rate were larger with the verbal than with the digital system, presumably reflecting increased respiratory demands in the verbal condition as well as increased visual processing demands with the digital format. Finally, the probe evoked P300 component decreased in amplitude as a function of increases in die magnitude of communications. The results are discussed in terms of the structural and capacity demands of the communications systems that were proposed for the advanced multi-function helicopter.     

Multidisciplinary optimization of a transport aircraft wing using particle swarm optimization

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the application of particle swarm optimization to a realistic multidisciplinary optimization test problem. The papers new contributions to multidisciplinary optimization are the application of a new algorithm for dealing with the unique challenges associated with multidisciplinary optimization problems, and recommendations for the utilization of the algorithm in future multidisciplinary optimization applications. The selected example is a bi-level optimization problem that demonstrates severe numerical noise and has a combination of continuous and discrete design variables. The use of traditional gradient-based optimization algorithms is thus not practical. The numerical results presented indicate that the particle swarm optimization algorithm is able to reliably find the optimum design for the problem presented. The algorithm is capable of dealing with the unique challenges posed by multidisciplinary optimization, as well as the numerical noise and discrete variables present in the current example problem.     

Blended wing body structures in multidisciplinary pre-design

The structural analysis of blended wing body (BWB) aircraft configurations is presented in the context of a preliminary, multidisciplinary aircraft design process by means of the aircraft design and optimization program (PrADO) of the Institut of Aircraft Design and Lightweight Structures of the TU Braunschweig. A multidisciplinary process is described that enables parametric creation of detailed finite element models and its loads. Iteratively different flight conditions are trimmed and corresponding pressure distributions calculated by the higher-order subsonic and supersonic panel code HISSS. Each defined loading condition is used for the iterative structural sizing of the primary structure. Based on finite element idealization, a mass estimation of all structural masses is performed. The primary and secondary masses are fed back into the closed overall aircraft optimization loop of PrADO until this iterative procedure shows convergence on calculated aircraft variables (e.g., aircraft masses and static engine thrust). This automated process enables further configuration improvements using manual parametric variations or optimization features of PrADO with an objective function being defined by fuel consumption, aircraft mass, or direct operating costs. Different structural solutions and their integration in the global model are presented for passenger versions of a 700 passenger BWB with special consideration of a pressurized cabin. As an example, structural masses and parametric studies on the influence of the center body rib spacing are presented and compared by weight breakdowns.     

Optimization of airplane wing structures under gust loads

A methodology is presented for the optimum design of aircraft wing structures subjected to gust loads. The equations of motion, in the form of coupled integro-differential equations, are solved numerically and the stresses in the aircraft wing structure are found for a discrete gust encounter. The gust is assumed to be one minus cosine type and uniform along the span of the wing. In order to find the behavior of the wing structure under gust loads and also to obtain a physical insight into the nature of the optimum solution, the design of the typical section (symmetric double wedge airfoil) is studied by using a graphical procedure. Then a more realistic wing optimization problem is formulated as a constrained nonlinear programming problem based on finite element modeling and the optimum solution is found by using the interior penalty function method. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to find the effects of changes in design variables about the optimum point on the response quantities of the wing structure.     

Optimization of airplane wing structures under landing loads

A methodology is presented for the optimum design of aircraft wing structures subjected to landing loads. The stresses developed in the wing during landing are computed by considering the interaction between the landing gear and the flexible airplane structure. The landing gear is assumed to have nonlinear characteristics typical of conventional gears, namely, velocity squared damping, polytropic air-compression springing and exponential tire force-deflection characteristics. The coupled nonlinear differential equations of motion that arise in the landing analysis are solved by using a step-by-step numerical integration technique. In order to find the behavior of the wing structure under landing loads and also to obtain a physical insight into the nature of the optimum solution, the design of the typical section (symmetric double-wedge airfoil) is studied by using a graphical procedure. Then a more realistic wing optimization problem is formulated as a constrained nonlinear programming problem based on finite element modeling. The optimum solutions are found by using the interior penalty function method. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to find the effect of changes in design variables about the optimum point on the various response parameters on the wing structure.     

Optimization of airplane wing structures under taxiing loads

A methodology is presented for the optimum design of aircraft wing structures subjected to taxiing loads. The dynamic stresses induced in the wing as the airplane accelerates or decelerates on the runway during take-off or landing are computed by considering the interaction between the landing gear and the flexible airplane structure. The procedure is capable of taking into account both the effects of discrete runway bumps and the effects of runway unevenness. A numerical step-by-step method is developed for solving the nonlinear differential equations of motion. The optimization methodology is illustrated with two examples. The first example deals with the design of the typical section (symmetric double wedge airfoil). This example is studied by using a graphical procedure mainly to understand qualitatively the behavior of wing structures under taxiing loads and also to obtain a physical insight into the nature of the optimum solution. The second example is concerned with the design of a more realistic wing structure. In this case, the problem is formulated and solved as a constrained nonlinear programming problem based on finite element modeling.     

基于优化配平的机翼故障飞机飞行性能分析

分析飞机机翼故障对飞行性能的影响,对飞机故障后能够安全着陆或返航有着重要意义,飞机的机翼作为产生力和力矩的主要部件对飞行性能起着重要的作用。提出一种基于单纯形优化的机翼故障飞机飞行性能分析方法,建立机翼故障参数模型,根据飞机爬升转弯飞行条件进行优化配平计算,得到在不同状态下不同机翼故障的配平数据库,分析了故障后飞机的飞行性能。仿真结果表明所提算法的有效性。     

飞机机翼垂尾壁板制孔系统孔位自动校正方法

飞机机翼垂尾壁板制孔系统孔位容易受到随机波动干扰产生误差,提出基于电控机械式误差调节的飞机机翼垂尾壁板制孔系统孔位自动校正方法,构建飞机机翼垂尾壁板制孔系统孔位校正的执行机构控制模型,采用位移传感器进行垂尾壁板制孔系统孔位的误差偏移测量,在执行机构中进行误差的自适应调节和输出稳定性控制,结合迭代学习控制方法进行飞机机翼垂尾壁板制孔系统孔位自动校正过程中的误差偏移修正,采用电控式的机械误差调节方法,实现机翼垂尾壁板制孔系统孔位自动校正优化。仿真结果表明,采用该方法进行机翼垂尾壁板制孔系统孔位校正的自动性较好,误差修正能力极强,提高了飞机机翼垂尾壁板制孔系统孔位主动调节和误差自适应修正性能。     

Integrated cost/weight optimization of aircraft structures

A methodology for a combined cost/weight optimization of aircraft components is proposed. The objective function is formed by a simplified form of direct operating cost, i.e. by a weighted sum of the manufacturing cost and the component weight. Hence, the structural engineer can perform the evaluation of a design solution based on economical values rather than pure cost or weight targets. The parameter that governs the balance between manufacturing cost and weight is called weight penalty and incorporates the effect of fuel burn, environmental impact or contractual penalties due to overweight. Unlike previous work, the analytical cost model and structural models are replaced by commercially available software packages that allow a more realistic model of the manufacturing costs; further, arbitrary constraints for the structural analysis can be implemented. By means of parametric studies it is shown that the design solution strongly depends on the magnitude of the weight penalty.