Wing Aerodynamic Design For Multidisciplinary Aircraft Assessment

Aircraft design is comprised of many disciplines working concurrently to achieve a best solution, with aerodynamics being a key driver in this process. Design starts at the conceptual stage, when key decisions are taken regarding the type, layout, size and technologies employed in the future aircraft. Typically, perhaps 80-90% of the main design freedoms are fixed during this early stage, yet little detailed performance information is actually available to underpin decision making.

Low-fidelity methods, as currently used in conceptual design, are typically based on historical data rather than flow physics. This means the tools are fast and simple to apply, but confidence in their accuracy is limited, particularly for novel designs. In the subsequent preliminary and detailed design phases, high-fidelity methods based on solution of the fluid flow equations (Computational Fluid Dynamics) are available. These methods are widely applicable, but are computationally expensive and complex. Further, these high fidelity tools require a high quality designed shape, to give a realistic prediction of final aircraft performance.

This research, funded by Airbus, aims to address the need for generation of a 'medium' fidelity computational method, which is suitable for integration into a broader multidisciplinary design process to support conceptual design. The research will involve method development, combining mixed fidelity aerodynamic analysis methods in 2D/3D, surrogate modelling techniques, knowledge integration and optimisation. This research will facilitate the evaluation of more alternative concepts, with increased confidence, during the earliest stages of aircraft design.