Prajwal S. Prakasha

Assessment of airframe-subsystems synergy on overall aircraft performance in a Collaborative Design

A Collaborative and Distributed Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) methodology is presented, which uses physics based analysis to evaluate the correlations between the airframe design and its sub-systems integration from the early design process, and to exploit the synergies within a simultaneous optimization process. Further, the disciplinary analysis modules involved in the optimization task are located in different organization. Hence, the Airframe and Subsystem design tools are integrated within a distributed overall aircraft synthesis process. The collaborative design process is implemented by making use of DLRs engineering framework RCE. XML based central data format CPACS is the basis of communication to exchange model information between the analysis modules and between the partner organizations involved in the research activity. As a use case to evaluate the presented collaborative design method, an unmanned Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) configuration is selected. More electric sub-systems combinations based on the mission requirements are considered. The deployed framework simultaneously optimizes the airframe along with the sub-systems. DLRs preliminary aircraft design environment is used for the airframe synthesis, and the Sub-systems design is performed by the ASTRID tool developed by Politecnico di Torino. The resulting aircraft and systems characteristics are used to assess the mission performance and optimization. In order to evaluate the physics based framework and system-airframe synergies, three case studies are considered: a) Subsystem Architectures effect on overall aircraft performance for a given mission and fixed airframe. b) Effects of variation of mission scenario on aircraft performance for a chosen subsystem architecture and fixed airframe. c) Optimization involving wing planform variables and subsystem architecture for a given mission.

Advanced turboprop multidisciplinary design and optimization within AGILE project

The present paper deals with the design, analysis and optimization of a 90 passengers turboprop aircraft with a design range of 1200 nautical miles and a cruise Mach number equal to 0.56. The pres cribed aircraft is one of the use cases of the AGILE European project, aiming to provide a 3rd generation of multidisciplinary design and optimization chain, following the collaborative and remote aircraft design paradigm, through an heterogenous team of experts. The multidisciplinary aircraft design analysis is set-up involving tools provided by AGILE partners distributed worldwide and run locally from partners side. A complete design of experiment, focused on wing planform variables, is performed to build response surfaces suitable for optimization purposes. The goal of the optimization is the direct operati ng cost , subject to wing design variables and top - level aircraft requirements.

MDO Framework for university research collaboration : AGILE Academy Initiatives & Outcomes

AGILE Project is developing the 3rd generation MDO processes, which will support the development of the next generation aerospace products. The establishment of effective collaborative design methodologies, is currently acknowledged as the key enabler for future product development processes. At the same time, the need to introduce collaborative design techniques within educational activities is also well recognized by the Academic, Research and Industrial communities. AGILE project supported by European Commission’s H2020 Programme, is setting the “AGILE Paradigm”, a conceptual framework which contains all the elements to implement a multidisciplinary collaborative design network. The AGILE Academy initiative is conceived to infuse into the Academic organizations and educational environments the “AGILE Paradigm”, and make available all the technologies developed within the AGILE Project, which support the implementation of such a Paradigm. This paper focus is on the inception, approach and results of the AGILE Academy participants from several universities around the world.