INFLUENCE OF MODEL COMPLEXITY AND AEROELASTIC CONSTRAINTS ON MULTIDISCIPLINARY OPTIMIZATION OF WINGS

This investigation focuses on the performance of the Automated Structu ral Optimization System multidisciplinary optimization code in the str uctural weight optimized design of two finite element models of a low- aspect ratio fighter-type wing. Optimal designs for the vying with the structure represented by a coarse and a more complex finite element m odel are obtained with constraints imposed on strength, aileron revers al, and flutter using subsonic and supersonic aerodynamic theories. Th e results demonstrate the ability of ASTROS to effectively find local minima with weight as the objective function. The trends in the final weights illustrate the impact of changing design constraints on optima l design.