Multidisciplinary design integration methodology for a supersonic transport aircraft

Abstract

An aircraft early preliminary design system that demonstrates the methodology for multidisciplinary communications and couplings between several engineering disciplines is described. A primary benefit of this system is the flexibility to demonstrate advanced technology concurrent multidisciplinary design integration techniques. The current version consists of the disciplines of aerodynamics and structures coupled aeroelastically. Contributing engineering disciplines concurrently influence a global design through the global sensitivity equation technique. A generic high-speed civil transport vehicle wing is designed for several variations of wing sweep and thickness. Forty-four independent structural design variables control the cross-sectional areas of wing rib and spar caps and the thicknesses of wing skin cover panels. A total of 300 stress, strain, buckling, and displacement behavioral constraints and minimum gauges on the design variables are used to design the wing structure for minimum mass.