TOWARDS AERO-STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION USING THE NEW CFD SOFTWARE BY ONERA, DLR, AIRBUS (CODA)

Abstract

In working towards a more climate-friendly air travel, multidisciplinary analysis and optimization (MDAO) capabilities based on high-fidelity methods for aerodynamics and structural mechanics are essential for the design of appropriate next-generation aircraft. In addition, optimization problems for industrially relevant use cases typically contain a vast number of design parameters and constraints in all disciplines being involved, which for reasons of efficiency requires the use of gradient-based methods that rely on the presence of accurate intra- and interdisciplinary gradients. Against this background, DLR and its partners are continuously developing a gradient-based MDO suite in multidisciplinary feasibility formulation (MDF) based on the application of RANS-based adjoint-ready computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers. So far, mainly the TAU solver of DLR in combination either with the LAGRANGE optimization framework of AIRBUS Defense and Space [1,2,3] or with NASTRAN as structural solver has been used. The FlowSimulator environment, which is being jointly developed by DLR, ONERA and AIRBUS and is specifically tailored for the simulation of CFD-based multidisciplinary applications on HPC systems [4], is applied as an overarching software integration framework for the elements of the MDO suite.