High-Fidelity Aerostructural Design Optimization of a Supersonic Business Jet

TLDR

The study demonstrates an integrated aerostructural design method for aerospace vehicles. The method employs high‑fidelity Euler and finite‑element models, parameterizes the outer‑mold line and structure, and computes aerostructural sensitivities with a coupled‑adjoint approach, using Kreisselmeier‑Steinhauser functions to reduce constraints. Optimization of a natural laminar‑flow supersonic business jet yielded aerodynamic and structural improvements, and the coupled‑adjoint sensitivities were shown to be accurate.

Abstract

This paper focuses on the demonstration of an integrated aerostructural method for the design of aerospace vehicles. Both aerodynamics and structures are represented using high-fidelity models such as the Euler equations for the aerodynamics and a detailed finite element model for the primary structure. The aerodynamic outer-mold line and a structure of fixed topology are parameterized using a large number of design variables. The aerostructural sensitivities of aerodynamic and structural cost functions with respect to both outer-mold line shape and structural variables are computed using an accurate and efficient coupled-adjoint procedure. Kreisselmeier‐ Steinhauser functions are used to reduce the number of structural constraints in the problem. Results of the aerodynamic shape and structural optimization of a natural laminar-flow supersonic business jet are presented together with an assessment of the accuracy of the sensitivity information obtained using the coupled-adjoint procedure.