Development of an ICAD Generative Model for Blended Wing-Body Aircraft Design

Abstract

Aim of the EC sponsored project 'Multidisciplinary Design and Optimization of Blended Wing-Bodies' is the development and application of a fully integrated Computer Design Engine (CDE). TU Delft contributed to the project with the development of a Blended Wing-Body Multi-Model Generator, which is able to supply geometries and data to the analysis software, either COTS or tailor made, used by the various disciplinary groups in the project team (aerodynamics, structures, stability and control etc.). A full parametric definition of the aircraft has been implemented in the KTI ICAD environment. The ICAD Multi-Model Generator (or Generative Model) holds the 'knowledge' of the Blended Wing Body aircraft, such that consistent models can be generated, at different leve ls of fidelity, suitable for the various disciplines involved in the CDE. A large range of aircraft variants can be generated, just editing the values of the aircraft parameters, which are all collected in one single input file. The optimiser can change the parameters value within the optimisation loop, without the need for user interactive sessions. The generative model can be run in batch mode, even from remote sites.

Traceability of Decisions in Product Realization Processes of Custom Engineered Products

“…The Formal model is described by an object-oriented annotation called MML that is based on UML. The Design and Engineering Engine, DEE, is another approach for the development of knowledge-based engineering applications (La Rocca et al, 2002;Lisandrin and van Tooren, 2002;van Tooren et al, 2003). This approach consists of three major elements: The first element is concerned with the design process, which includes multidisciplinary optimisation.…”

Supporting Design Tasks Through Constraint Satisfaction Tools

“…An example is in the field of robotics systems (Trabelsi et al, 2015), where Chen developed a simple design principle for an untethered, entirely soft, swimming robot with the ability to achieve directional propulsion without batteries and on-board electronics. A multidisciplinary design optimization advisor system (Sobieszczanski-Sobieski et al, 2015) and the implementation of an ICAD generative model (La Rocca et al, 2002) was proposed in the design of aircraft applications. There are numerous methods to solve this kind of problems and many other methods are also studied to improve calculation time and precision in CSP problems.…”

Supervised Learning Approach to Parametric Computer-Aided Design Geometry Repair

“…Consider N instances of a parametric CAD geometry, with the corresponding sets of design variables used to control them denoted by [x (1) ,…”

“…These tools are often tightly coupled with the meshing and analysis capability of the MDO system and are designed for relatively narrow classes of applications. Increasingly, however, we see commercial parametric CAD packages taking center stage in MDO systems as geometry providers, 1 and this is the perspective we adopt here; nonetheless, much of the following discussion is valid for other forms of geometry construction as well.…”