Back to results

Virginia Tech

Structural optimization and its interaction with aerodynamic optimization for a high speed civil transport wing

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

A variable-complexity design strategy with combined aerodynamic and structural optimization procedures is presented for the high speed civil transport design (HSCT). Variable-complexity analysis methods are used to reduce the computational expense. A finite element-model based structural optimization procedure with flexible loads is implemented to evaluate the wing bending material weight. Static aeroelastic effects, evaluated through the comparison of rigid and flexible wing models, are found to be small in the HSCT design. The results of structural optimization are compared with two quasi-empirical weight equations. Good correlation is obtained between the structural optimization and one of the weight equations. Based on this comparison, an interlacing procedure is developed to combine both the simple weight equations and structural optimization in the HSCT design optimization, at modest computational cost. HSCT designs based on the interlacing procedure reveal that the aerodynamic optimizer may take advantage of weaknesses in weight equation. However, the optimizer may be unable to escape the local minimum due to the noisy of aerodynamic response and the lack of derivative information for the interlacing procedure.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph. D.
Level thesis:degree_level
doctoral
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Aerospace Engineering
Department dc:contributor.department
Aerospace Engineering
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
1994

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Huang, Ximing
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Haftka, Raphael T.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Grossman, Bernard M.
  • Mason, William H.
  • Johnson, Eric R.
  • Plaut, Raymond H.

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright
Language dc:language.iso
en

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-10242005-124127
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/40132

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
related terms
citation

Huang, Ximing. Structural optimization and its interaction with aerodynamic optimization for a high speed civil transport wing. doctoral thesis, Virginia Tech, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/40132