Multidisciplinary optimization of aircraft design and takeoff operations for low noise

Aircraft planform design, takeoff operations, and airfoil design are examined as a complete system in order to quantify tradeoffs that can result in a quiet aircraft. An aircraft design model was developed to generate blended-wing-body-type designs using simple-physics models and empirical scaling from a reference design. This model generates a scaled airframe and engine, an estimate of aircraft weights and center of gravity, a takeoff trajectory, outer wing airfoil profiles, and takeoff noise predictions. Integrating the model with a single-level optimization framework, it was found that optimization for minimum noise can result in a significant noise reduction on takeoff, primarily due to changes in aircraft design and operations. There exists a design-operations coupling between the departure flight path angle and the engine size which must be exploited. Low-noise designs resulting from the single-level optimization require more fuel to complete the design mission. Modifications to the airfoil profiles do not significantly contribute to further reductions in takeoff noise, but do mitigate the fuel burn increase without adversely affecting noise levels.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Jones, Anya Rachel

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Karen Willcox.

• Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/35293

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/35293