Aeroelastic Design and Optimization of Green Aircraft

Abstract

Aeroelastic effects play a large role in aircraft development, where the necessity to minimize fuel consumption and emissions creates a pressure to move towards light weight structures and new technical solutions like laminar flow wings for transonic aircraft. DLR is performing a series of investigations on the impact of so-called “green” technologies on aeroelastic stability and dynamic loads. One aspect of those investigations is the improvement of corresponding numerical analysis approaches, from fast methods to high fidelity methods, and the experimental validation of those approaches. Furthermore, aeroelasticity is seen as a design driver - aeroelastic tailoring and active loads control are examples of the mutual interaction between aeroelasticity and aircraft design & optimization. The presentation will give an overview of current DLR activities in the field of aeroelastic analysis, design and optimization, with examples of applications from DLR-, German national-, and European projects.