Aerostructural design optimization of the D8 aircraft using active aeroelastic tailoring

Abstract

The D8 is a promising transport aircraft concept currently under development by Aurora Flight Sciences, MIT and Pratt and Whitney. The design includes several novel design features which have the potential to offer substantial improvements in fuel efficiency over currently flying aircraft. One design feature that has yet to be investigated on this concept is that of active aeroelastic tailoring. Active aeroelastic tailoring is the technique of using aircraft control features to mitigate aeroelastic loading, both static and dynamic. The goal of this study is to quantify the benefits of active aeroelastic tailoring for the D8 aircraft in a higher-span-variant configuration. To this end, a series of fuel burn minimization problems are solved using a high-aspect-ratio distributed control surface variant of the D8 aircraft. The design variables include flight variables, wingbox structural thicknesses, and control surface deflections. The optimal results are compared between a design with active tailoring and a baseline design without and the trends assessed. Finally, the robustness of the active tailored design is assessed by reoptimizing the design with the inclusion of sizing for failed actuator conditions.