Variable Complexity Weight Estimation for Conceptual Aircraft Design Optimization (VaC-CADO)

The defense and the commercial sectors in US have been undergoing severe energy issues, with the prices and demand of fuel increasing over the years. Thus investigations into advanced fuel efficient designs have become inevitable. With increase in air traffic, environmental concerns of noise and emissions have also been brought to the forefront. This has resulted in NASA's ambitious N+3 vision, as exemplified in the Subsonic Fixed Wing projects's four corners of the design trade space. Also, the burgeoning interest in UAS platforms promises significant departures from traditional aircraft designs. To enable introduction of new aircraft into the inventory, the conceptual design of advanced concepts is critical. However, the aircraft design community realizes a need for introducing physics based analysis early in the design space. In particular weight estimates based on statistical relations are inadequate for new concepts, and there is a need for improved weight estimation. For this purpose, Intelligent Automation proposes VaC-CADO, a variable complexity conceptual aircraft design tool for the design of advanced airplanes by combining multi-fidelity optimization and MDO with FEM-based weight estimation. This is a novel technique leveraging on state-of-the-art in aircraft design and enhancing it using our extensive experience in this field.

We anticipate that by the end of Phase II, we will have matured the concept sufficiently to embed it and test it in NASA systems. An example program of interest is the Fundamental Aeronautics Program at NASA (including subsonic fixed wing, subsonic rotary wing, supersonics, and hypersonics programs). One of the major goals of the Fundamental Aeronautics Program is the inclusion of physics-based analysis in modern MDO tools, which is the particular innovation in VaC-CADO. This tool for design of unconventional aircraft will also enable NASA to analyze new concepts that revolutionize the aerodynamic performance and meet N+3 goals of NASA.

Several DOD groups, such as the AFRL conceptual design group under the Propulsion System Directorate, have been conducting research to develop novel conceptual design tools for analysis and design of new concepts. This becomes critical while acquiring new technology and helps guide the programs within DOD. VaC-CADO with its application to novel concepts will directly address this critical need. We have also been discussing this particular challenge of physics-based MDAO tools with several OEMs including Boeing and Lockheed, who have expressed considerable interest in this technology. Of immediate interest is the Advanced Vehicle Concepts Study where Boeing is evaluating Preferred Systems Concepts for passenger and cargo transport aircraft. And there are several other programs at Boeing that can greatly benefit from development of technologies that optimize aircraft design at the system level. This tool will also benefit academic researchers as well as smaller contractors and has great potential for commercialization.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.