Aeroelastic optimization design of SpaRibs wing structure

Traditionally, the internal structure of aircraft wings is generally straight spars and ribs. The use of curvilinear spars and ribs (SpaRibs) can greatly broaden the design space of the aircraft wing structure and further improve the aeroelastic performance of the aircraft wing. Since the linked shape method (LSM) is not easy to automatically model, the projection mapping method was proposed to perform two space transformations to realize the automatic modelling of the SpaRibs. Based on genetic algorithm, an aeroelastic comprehensive optimization design method was proposed for aircraft wings with SpaRibs. The supersonic doublet-lattice method was used to calculate the unsteady aerodynamics, and the modal method was used for the static aeroelastic analysis. The optimal design was carried out by considering the flutter velocity and static aeroelastic deformation constraints. A comprehensive optimization design calculation example of a flying wing aircraft shows that the flutter velocity can be increased by 20.34% on the basis of a weight increase of 1.321% for a wing with a SpaRibs structure. The size parameters are further optimized on the basis of the SpaRibs configuration. Under certain constraints, the weight reduction is 21.76% compared with the initial configuration; the comprehensive (one-step) optimization of the SpaRibs configuration parameters and size parameters is combined, and the weight reduction can reach 26.44% compared with the initial configuration. The weight of the aircraft wing can be effectively reduced by combining SpaRibs design optimization and size optimization, which provides a fast and effective aeroelastic comprehensive optimization design method for the overall design of the flying wing aircraft structure.