Parametric model generation and automated sizing process for the analysis of aircraft structures using the design environment DELiS

Abstract

The product development cycles in all sectors of the industry become shorter. Simultaneously, the performance of the products has to improve in every new generation. In the early design process, simulation tools are used to create a large number of product designs and to evaluate their performance. In order to reduce the effort for the model generation, analysis and evaluation, a design environment for thin-walled lightweight structures (named DELiS (Design environment for lightweight structures)) with the focus on structural mechanics of aircrafts and wind turbine blades has been developed. The core of DELiS is a parametric model generator which generates models of thin-walled lightweight structures for the aircraft preliminary design process. Based on the Common Parametric Aircraft Configuration Schema (CPACS), which is an abstract aircraft namespace, it is possible to create models with variable level of detail, e.g. wings simplified as beam models, stringer modeled with beam elements or smeared as an extra shell layer. With the support of several commercial finite element (FE) solvers many 3rd party applications can be utilized, such as sizing tools that require a specific FE solver. Thus DELiS facilitates interfaces to these sizing tools. In consequence of the flexibility of model generation with different levels of detail and a well-defined exchange database, DELiS is well suited for the needs in a multi-disciplinary design process. The publication gives an overview of the model generation and model analysis concept. Based on that, examples of the model generation and an automated sizing process will be shown exemplarily. Furthermore the application of DELiS in a multi-disciplinary design process will be highlighted.