Multifidelity Robust Aeroelastic Design

Nielsen Engineering & Research (NEAR) proposes a new method to generate mathematical models of wind-tunnel models and flight vehicles for robust aeroelastic analysis and design. These models provide a unified description applicable to CFD steady and unsteady aerodynamics, reduced-order CFD approaches, flexible structures and active control systems, and can accommodate probabilistic aerodynamics and aeroelastics. NEAR's offering is based on probabilistic metamodels which are supported by analyses and data at all available levels of fidelity and which are dynamically updated based on multifidelity expected improvement concepts. The proposed software will help reduce the design and life-cycle cost of next-generation high-efficiency flight vehicle systems and revolutionary aerospace vehicles, and will help attain better aeroelastic designs, by providing a better understanding of how the design variables interact and affect each other under the influence of uncertainty, and by incorporating these interactions early in the design to reduce risk.

A diverse range of application examples exists where the proposed technology could be beneficial. These include defense applications related to flight vehicles design such as UAVs/UCAVs, but also next generation energy-efficient automobile design, wind turbines, hydroelasticity, civil and earthquake engineering, and, in general, any design application that involves multiple disciplines, may involve time-dependent responses, and is amenable to multifidelity modeling.

The proposed research and development will result in new multifidelity design methods which leverage efficient low-fidelity models. These methods will enable the use of high-fidelity analyses in highly integrated aeroelastic designs of unconventional airframes and new structural and propulsion concepts requiring system-wide cross disciplinary integration. The proposed technology applies to aerospace vehicles in the subsonic, transonic, supersonic, and hypersonic speed regimes, and will help NASA reach its goal of ensuring long-term investments and fundamental research in relevant emerging fields that can be integrated into system-level, multidisciplinary capabilities.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — 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.

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