Credibility-based multidisciplinary design optimisation of electric aircraft

Wahler, Nicolas F., Maruyama, Daigo and Elham, Ali (2023) Credibility-based multidisciplinary design optimisation of electric aircraft. In AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum. American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.. (doi:10.2514/6.2023-1847).

Abstract

Aircraft designs for future electric aircraft often have large discrepancies in the underlying assumptions for highly influential design parameters. Due to these differences, comparisons between studies are difficult. For a range of highly important parameters, probability curves have been created that can predict a range of assumed future performance by 2035. With these curves, statements about the credibility of an assumed parameter as well as total aircraft performance can be made. A credibility-based multidisciplinary design optimization framework is created to evaluate the maximum achievable mission range for a full-electric commuter aircraft under credibility constraints. The optimization is performed using a surrogate-based global optimization routine, the Efficient Global Optimization. The optimization algorithm and its implementation with the aircraft mission simulation tool is extensively verified. With the full framework, the aircraft design is optimized under a range of credibility limits to create a range-credibility Pareto curve. The results show that battery gravimetric energy density is the most dominating factor for the optimization. Motor and airframe parameters have a smaller effect on the achievable range. Their influence on the optimal design depends on the desired credibility level. For high credibilities the motor is found to be more relevant. For low credibilities, the airframe technology improvements are dominant. The shape of the underlying credibility distribution of secondary parameters have a strong effect on their relevance for the optimal configuration.

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