As the necessity of sustainable mobility rises, the demand to reduce the environmental impact of transporting mediums increases. The SUGAR Truss-Braced Wing (TBW) aircraft is a venture of Boeing, NASA and Virginia Tech for the N+3 generation of aircraft. These high-aspect-ratio aircraft are being designed with the aim to improve the structural and aerodynamic performance by implementing advanced technologies. Aerodynamics is a major factor influencing the performance of the aircraft, affecting the fuel consumption and emissions, especially due to drag. The multidisciplinary design optimization architecture for truss-braced-wing aircraft is dedicated to generate configurations with low fuel burn, maximum weight carrying capabilities and aircraft stability for long and medium range missions. The incorporation of flight dynamics at the conceptual design stage offers enhanced aerodynamic performance and wing flexibility for the aircraft. A robust flight dynamic system would need a detailed aerodynamic analysis of the aircraft with the focus on aeroelasticity. In this thesis, various aerodynamic coefficients and stability derivatives are investigated by applying Vortex-Lattice Method using OpenVSP, an open-source platform. The variation in aerodynamic parameters with changes in configurations and flow conditions are discussed as well. OpenVSP allows for study of these results with low computational expense. This will aid in efficient aerodynamic design and lay basis for flight dynamics analysis and its inclusion in the Multidisciplinary Design Analysis and Optimization (MDAO) framework. / Master of Science / The demand for sustainable mobility and green transportation is increasing. Reduction in the environmental impact of these mediums is the prime motivation for various research studies conducted in this domain. The SUGAR Truss-Braced Wing (TBW) aircraft configuration research, led by Boeing, NASA and Virginia Tech over the last two decades, aims at developing highly fuel-efficient next-generation aircraft. These high-aspect-ratio aircraft are being researched for improving the structural and aerodynamic performance by implementing advanced technologies. Aerodynamic performance of the aircraft influences the fuel consumption and emissions produced drastically. The current design optimization framework for the TBW aircraft focuses on development of these aircraft configurations with the goal to limit fuel burn and maximize payload carrying capability. Flight dynamics analysis can be significant to improve and obtain optimal solutions from the design process. Incorporation of flight dynamics at the conceptual design stage offers enhanced aerodynamic performance and wing flexibility for the next generation aircraft. Therefore, a detailed aerodynamic analysis of the aircraft would be needed to establish a systematic flight dynamics module. This thesis presents a new approach for formulating and analysing the aerodynamic coefficients and stability derivatives by implementing Vortex-Lattice Method available in the open-source software. This will further allow for inclusion of flight dynamics study of the new configurations for long and medium range missions within the existing framework.

This study highlights the aeroelastic behavior of very flexible truss-braced wing (TBW) aircraft designs obtained through a multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) framework. Several improvements to previous analysis methods were developed and validated. Firstly, a flutter constraint was developed and the effects of the constraint on the MDO of TBW transport aircraft for both medium-range and long-range missions were studied while minimizing the take-off gross weight (TOGW) and the fuel burn as the objective functions. Results show that when the flutter constraint is applied at 1.15 times the dive speed, it imposes a 1.5% penalty on the take-off weight and a 5% penalty on the fuel consumption while minimizing these two objective functions for the medium-range mission. For the long-range mission, the penalties imposed by the similar constraint on the minimum TOGW and minimum fuel burn designs are 3.5% and 7.5%, respectively. Importantly, the resulting TBW designs are still superior to equivalent cantilever designs for both of the missions as they have both lower TOGW and fuel burn. However, a relaxed flutter constraint applied at 1.05 times the dive speed can restrict the penalty on the TOGW to only 0.3% and that on the fuel burn to 2% for minimizing both the objectives, for the medium-range mission. For the long-range mission, a similar relaxed constraint can reduce the penalty on fuel burn to 2.9%. These observations suggest further investigation into active flutter suppression mechanisms for the TBW aircraft to further reduce either the TOGW or the fuel burn. Secondly, the effects of a variable-geometry raked wingtip (VGRWT) on the maneuverability and aeroelastic behavior of passenger aircraft with very flexible truss-braced wings (TBW) were investigated. These TBW designs obtained from the MDO environment while minimizing fuel burn resemble a Boeing 777-200 Long Range (LR) aircraft both in terms of flight mission and aircraft configuration. The VGRWT can sweep forward and aft relative to the wing with the aid of a Novel Control Effector (NCE) mechanism. Results show that the VGRWT can be swept judiciously to alter the bending-torsion coupling and the movement of the center of pressure of wing. Such behavior of the VGRWT is applied to both achieve the required roll control as well as to increase flutter speed, and thus, enable the operation of TBW configurations which have up to 10% lower fuel burn than comparable optimized cantilever wing designs. Finally, a transonic aeroelastic analysis tool was developed which can be used for conceptual design in an MDO environment. Routine transonic aeroelastic analysis require expensive CFD simulations, hence they cannot be performed in an MDO environment. The present approach utilizes the results of a companion study of CFD simulations performed offline for the steady Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations for a variety of airfoil parameters. The CFD results are used to develop a response surface which can be used in the MDO environment to perform a Leishman-Beddoes (LB) indicial functions based flutter analysis. A reduced-order model (ROM) is also developed for the unsteady aerodynamic system. Validation of the strip theory based aeroelastic analysis with LB unsteady aerodynamics and the computational efficiency and accuracy of the ROM is demonstrated. Finally, transonic aeroelastic analysis of a TBW aircraft designed for the medium-range flight mission similar to a Boeing 737 next generation (NG) with a cruise Mach number of 0.8 is presented. The results show the potential of the present approach to perform a more accurate, yet inexpensive, flutter analysis for MDO studies of transonic transport aircraft which are expected to undergo flutter at transonic conditions. / Ph. D.

This study utilizes Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) techniques to explore the effectiveness of the truss-braced (TBW) and strut-braced (SBW) wing configurations in enhancing the performance of medium range, transonic transport aircraft. The truss and strut-braced wing concepts synergize structures and aerodynamics to create a planform with decreased weight and drag. Past studies at Virginia Tech have found that these configurations can achieve significant performance benefits when compared to a cantilever aircraft with a long range, Boeing 777-200ER-like mission. The objective of this study is to explore these benefits when applied to a medium range Boeing 737-800NG-like aircraft with a cruise Mach number of 0.78, a 3,115 nautical mile range, and 162 passengers. Results demonstrate the significant performance benefits of the SBW and TBW configurations. Both configurations exhibit reduced weight and fuel consumption. Configurations are also optimized for 1990's or advanced technology aerodynamics. For the 1990's technology minimum TOGW cases, the SBW and TBW configurations achieve reductions in the TOGW of as much as 6% with 20% less fuel weight than the comparable cantilever configurations. The 1990's technology minimum fuel cases offer fuel weight reductions of about 13% compared to the 1990's technology minimum TOGW configurations and 11% when compared to the 1990's minimum fuel optimized cantilever configurations. The advanced aerodynamics technology minimum TOGW configurations feature an additional 4% weight savings over the comparable 1990's technology results while the advanced technology minimum fuel cases show fuel savings of 12% over the 1990's minimum fuel results. This translates to a 15% reduction in TOGW for the advanced technology minimum TOGW cases and a 47% reduction in fuel consumption for the advanced technology minimum fuel cases when compared to the simulated Boeing 737-800NG. It is found that the TBW configurations do not offer significant performance benefits over the comparable SBW designs. / Master of Science

This study presents a new Python-based novel framework, in a distributed computing environment for multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) called DELWARX. DELWARX also includes a transonic flutter analysis approach that is computationally very efficient, yet accurate enough for conceptual design and optimization studies. This transonic flutter analysis approach is designed for large aspect-ratio wings and attached flow. The framework employs particle swarm optimization with penalty functions for exploring optimal Transonic Truss Braced Wing (TTBW) aircraft design, similar to the Boeing 737-800 type of mission with a cruise Mach of 0.8, a range of 3115 n miles, and 162 passengers, with two different objective functions, the fuel weight and the maximum take-off gross weight, while satisfying all the required constraints. Proper memory management is applied to effectively address memory-related issues, which are often a limiting factor in distributed computing. The parallel implementation in MDO using 60 processors allowed a reduction in the wall-clock time by 96% which is around 24 times faster than the optimization using a single processor. The results include a comparison of the TTBW designs for the medium-range missions with and without the flutter constraint. Importantly, the framework achieves extremely low computation times due to its parallel optimization capability, retains all the previous functionalities of the previous Virginia Tech MDO framework, and replaces the previously employed linear flutter analysis with a more accurate nonlinear transonic flutter computation. These features of DELWARX are expected to facilitate a more accurate MDO study for innovative transport aircraft configurations operating in the transonic flight regime. High-fidelity CFD simulation is performed to verify the result obtained from extended Strip theory based aerodynamic analysis method. An approach is presented to develop a deep neural network (DNN)-based surrogate model for fast and accurate prediction of flutter constraints in multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) of Transonic Truss Braced Wing (TTBW) aircraft in the transonic region. The integration of the surrogate model in the MDO framework shows lower computation times than the MDO with nonlinear flutter analysis. The developed surrogate models can predict the optimum design. The wall-clock time of the design analysis method was reduced by 1500 times as compared to the result implemented in the previous framework, DELWARX. / Doctor of Philosophy / The current study presents DELWARX, a novel Python-based framework specifically engineered for the optimization of aircraft designs, with a primary focus on enhancing the performance of aircraft wings under transonic conditions (speeds approaching the speed of sound). This advancement is particularly pertinent for aircraft with a mission analogous to the Boeing 737-800, which necessitates a harmonious balance between speed, range, passenger capacity, and fuel efficiency. A salient feature of DELWARX is its adeptness in analyzing and optimizing wing flutter, a critical issue where wings may experience hazardous vibrations at certain velocities. This is particularly vital for wings characterized by a high aspect ratio (wings that are long and narrow), presenting a substantial challenge in the domain of aircraft design. DELWARX surpasses preceding methodologies by implementing a sophisticated computational technique known as particle swarm optimization, analogous to the collective movement observed in bird flocks, integrated with penalty functions that serve to exclude design solutions that fail to meet predefined standards. This approach is akin to navigating through a maze with specific pathways rendered inaccessible due to certain constraints. The efficiency of DELWARX is markedly enhanced by its ability to distribute computational tasks across 60 processors, achieving a computation speed that is 24 times faster than that of a single-processor operation. This distribution results in a significant reduction of overall computation time by 96%, representing a substantial advancement in processing efficiency. Further, DELWARX introduces an enhanced level of precision in its operations. It supplants former methods of flutter analysis with a more sophisticated, nonlinear approach tailored for transonic speeds. Consequently, the framework's predictions and optimization strategies for aircraft wing designs are imbued with increased reliability and accuracy. Moreover, DELWARX also integrates a Deep Neural Network (DNN), an advanced form of artificial intelligence, to swiftly and precisely predict flutter constraints. This integration manifests as a highly intelligent system capable of instantaneously estimating the performance of various designs, thereby expediting the optimization process. DELWARX employs high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to verify its findings. These simulations utilize intricate models to simulate the aerodynamics of air flow over aircraft wings, thereby ensuring that the optimized designs are not only theoretically sound but also pragmatically effective. In conclusion, DELWARX represents a significant leap in the field of multidisciplinary design optimization. It offers a robust and efficient tool for the design of aircraft wings, especially in the context of transonic flight. This framework heralds a new era in the optimization of aircraft designs, enabling more innovative and efficient solutions in the aerospace industry.

In recent years, research has been conducted for alternative commercial transonic aircraft design configurations, such as the strut- braced wing and the truss-braced wing aircraft designs, in order to improve aircraft performance and reduce the impact of aircraft emissions as compared to a typical cantilever wing design. Research performed by Virginia Tech in conjunction with NASA Langley Research Center shows that these alternative configurations result in 20% or more reduction in fuel consumption, and thus emissions. Another option to reduce the impact of emissions on the environment is to reduce the aircraft cruise altitude, where less nitrous oxides are released into the atmosphere and contrail formation is less likely. The following study was performed using multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) in ModelCenterTM for cantilever wing, strut-braced wing, and truss-braced wing designs and optimized for minimum takeoff gross weight at 7730 NM range and minimum fuel weight for 7730 and 4000 NM range at the following cruise altitudes: 25,000; 30,000; and 35,000 ft. For the longer range, both objective functions exhibit a large penalty in fuel weight and takeoff gross weight due to the increased drag from the fixed fuselage when reducing cruise altitude. For the shorter range, there was a slight increase in takeoff gross weight even though there was a large increase in fuel weight for decreased cruise altitudes. Thus, the benefits of reducing cruise altitude were offset by increased fuel weight. Either a two-jury truss-braced wing or telescopic strut could be studied to reduce the fuel penalty. / Master of Science