ORCID Identifier(s)

0000-0003-4637-0229

Graduation Semester and Year

2017

Language

English

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy in Mechanical Engineering

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

First Advisor

Bo Ping Wang

Abstract

An efficient methodology for design of aircraft composite wing structures is presented. The developed approach provides a flexible and integrated strategy to leverage advantages of composite material tow steering to achieve more effective wing designs. This is accomplished by including the coupling between OML geometry, aerodynamics and structural response. Structural and aerodynamic analyses are derived from parametric aircraft geometry and assembled into a framework for aero-structural wing sizing. A Ritz equivalent plate solution is extended to model composite materials with variable fiber path geometry. The structural modeling approach is implemented to automate creation of both Ritz and finite element analyses. The Ritz structural model is coupled to a vortex lattice flow solver and implemented into an optimization framework. By using this approach we are more rapidly able to gain an understanding of optimal wing skin laminates that satisfy a variety of constrains and objective functions. The framework is suitable for conceptual and preliminary design of aircraft wing skins and it has been applied to accomplish a tow-steered wing skin design.

Keywords

Fiber steering, Tow steering, Optimization, Aerostructural

Disciplines

Aerospace Engineering | Engineering | Mechanical Engineering

Comments

Degree granted by The University of Texas at Arlington

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