TY - GEN
T1 - Optimal design of aircraft wing structures
T2 - 9th Int. Symp. on Robotics and Applications, ISORA 2002, 8th Int. Symp. on Manufacturing and Applications, ISOMA 2002 and 4th Int. Symposium on Intelligent Automation and Control, ISIAC 2002, Held within the World Automation Congress, WAC 2002
AU - Ampofo, Joshua
AU - Ferguson, Frederick
PY - 2002
Y1 - 2002
N2 - Aircraft weight plays a significant role in its design because of its dominating effects on the vehicle overall performance. Statistical results suggested that the amplification impact factor of any weight-carrying component is about 4.525. That is, a 1.0 lb reduction in the structural weight translates to 4.525 lb reduction in gross aircraft takeoff weight. This paper focuses on the preliminary design of aircraft with optimized structural weight. The design concept is based on the optimal arrangement of the major force-carrying components within the aircraft. Further, it is shown that the optimum locations of the longitudinal wing spars results in, not only, minimum shear flows in spar webs and wing skins, but also, minimum axial stresses in the stringers of the wing spars. The net effect is an aircraft with minimum weight. The weight reduction is demonstrated by comparing the structural weight corresponding to the optimal arrangement with that corresponding to a randomly chosen arrangement. The computer aided design program developed in this research effort found the optimal locations of the two wing spars to be at 25% and 60% of the local chord length, respectively, after 136 iterations. Results indicate a 3.0% structural weight reduction (ie., 13% takeoff) when only two spars are considered.
AB - Aircraft weight plays a significant role in its design because of its dominating effects on the vehicle overall performance. Statistical results suggested that the amplification impact factor of any weight-carrying component is about 4.525. That is, a 1.0 lb reduction in the structural weight translates to 4.525 lb reduction in gross aircraft takeoff weight. This paper focuses on the preliminary design of aircraft with optimized structural weight. The design concept is based on the optimal arrangement of the major force-carrying components within the aircraft. Further, it is shown that the optimum locations of the longitudinal wing spars results in, not only, minimum shear flows in spar webs and wing skins, but also, minimum axial stresses in the stringers of the wing spars. The net effect is an aircraft with minimum weight. The weight reduction is demonstrated by comparing the structural weight corresponding to the optimal arrangement with that corresponding to a randomly chosen arrangement. The computer aided design program developed in this research effort found the optimal locations of the two wing spars to be at 25% and 60% of the local chord length, respectively, after 136 iterations. Results indicate a 3.0% structural weight reduction (ie., 13% takeoff) when only two spars are considered.
KW - Gross takeoff weight
KW - Optimization
KW - Wing ribs
KW - Wing spars
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/78650245630
M3 - Conference contribution
SN - 1889335193
SN - 9781889335193
T3 - Robotics, Automation, Control and Manufacturing: Trends, Principles and Applications - Proceedings of the 5th Biannual World Automation Congress, WAC 2002, ISORA 2002, ISIAC 2002 and ISOMA 2002
SP - 471
EP - 480
BT - Robotics, Automation, Control and Manufacturing
Y2 - 9 June 2002 through 13 June 2002
ER -