COLLABORATIVE MULTI-LEVEL MDO PROCESS DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION TO LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT

摘要

DLR’s work on developing a distributed collaborative MDO environment is presented. A multi-level approach combining high-fidelity MDA for aerodynamics and structures with conceptual aircraft design methods is employed. Configuration-specific critical loads are evaluated and used for sizing the structure. A gradient-free optimization algorithm is used to optimize the fuel burn of a generic long-range wide-body transport aircraft configuration with 9 shape parameters. First results show a truly multidisciplinary improvement of the modified design. The result of a gradient-free highfidelity MDO with preselected load cases and five shape parameters is also presented, comparing a full mission analysis with results for the Breguet range equation. Finally, a gradient-based high-fidelity aero-structural optimization subject to 7 pre-selected load cases is performed for a wing-body configuration that is parametrized by 360 freeform deformation design variables for the aerodynamic shape and 348 thickness design variables for the internal structure, resulting in a 6% increase in the objective function.