Structural Optimisation of an Aircraft Wing using rapid Analytical Methods

Kurzfassung

The investigation of new aircraft designs requires robust and rapid evaluation methods on a physical basis allowing to explore the unknown design space. The structural optimisation of aircraft wings is particularly challenging due to aeroelastic coupling efects. The minimum structural mass of an aircraft wing with a given outer shape can only be found in a multi disciplinary optimisation including structural and load calculations. In this thesis a structural optimisation framework for wing-like structures is developed. Material formulations based on lamination parameters allow the usage gradient based optimisation algorithms. The modular optimisation framework provides a general interface to structural solvers enabling a multi-fidelity optimisation process. In this thesis the structural solver PreDoCS calculates internal structural loads with an analytical cross-section theory in combination with one dimensional finite beam elements. Outer loads are provided by external tools and imported through the standardised CPACS interface, allowing multi disciplinary coupling. A comparison of the optimisation results of PreDoCS and a finite element based structural solver establishes confidence in the framework. The optimisation of a mid range aircraft wing shows the potential of lamination parameter optimisation with a gradient based, analytical optimisation framework.