Conceptual design and multidisciplinary optimization of in-plane morphing wing structures

Nowadays, all the stakeholders, policy makers, regulators, aircraft designers, producers, operators, etc.) are intensively working on development of the aircraft with full electric and hybrid propulsion systems. However, the technical, technological constrains (like limit on accumulator energy density) require introducing a new approach to conceptual design of such aircraft. The new methods is based on energy and mass balance evaluation. This paper analyses the identified constrains; integrates the energy and mass balance equations into the preliminary definition and calculations of the aircraft performance. By this way, the technological constrains might be transferred into the limitation on the aircraft energy and mass breakdown, that initiates a new approach to aircraft conceptual design uses the knowledge based multidisciplinary optimization. The paper describes the developed methodology for conceptual design of aircraft. It show results of implementing this new development philosophy to conceptual design of a four-seat small electric/hybrid aircraft and a special hybrid cargo UAV. The discussion of the results including got by using the emerging and enabling new technologies and new methods and solutions (including for example distributed propulsion system, unconventional forms, morphing, biomimics, etc.), demonstrates the possible implementation of the new development philosophy, new approach to aircraft conceptual design.

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Conceptual Design of a Reusable Unmanned Space Vehicle Using Multidisciplinary Optimization

International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences ◽

10.1007/s42405-018-0079-2 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 743-750

Author(s):

Jongho Jung ◽

Hyungak Yang ◽

Kyuhong Kim ◽

Kwanjung Yee ◽

Kangkuk You ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Conceptual Design ◽

Space Vehicle ◽

Multidisciplinary Optimization

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Multidisciplinary multi-objective design optimization of an active morphing wing section

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization ◽

10.1007/s00158-020-02613-4 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 62 (5) ◽

pp. 2423-2440

Author(s):

Florian Dexl ◽

Andreas Hauffe ◽

Klaus Wolf

Keyword(s):

A Priori ◽

Cellular Systems ◽

Multidisciplinary Optimization ◽

Morphing Wing ◽

Linear Contraction ◽

Active Structure ◽

Design And Optimization ◽

Target Shape ◽

Wing Section ◽

Morphing Wings

Abstract Design and optimization of morphing wings are of current research interest as they promise increasing efficiency and flexibility of future aircraft. A challenging task is to find structural layouts of morphing wings that enable aerodynamically optimized shape changes without defining the target shape a priori. The current paper addresses this task and presents a method that combines the optimization of the active structure of a wing section, parameterized by Lindenmayer cellular systems, with an aerodynamic evaluation. Neither the structural layout nor the target shape has to be defined a priori. This aim is achieved by a multidisciplinary optimization using evolutionary algorithms with aerodynamic and structural objectives. The developed method allows to optimize the topology of the internal structure, the placement of linear contraction, and expansion actuators as well as the setting of their actuation degree concurrently. It is shown that the present approach allows to find optimized internal layouts containing active structural elements for morphing wing sections.

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