Platform for Transport Aircraft Wing–Body Parametric Modeling and High-Lift System Design

Abstract

In this paper, the authors describe a software they have developed for wing–body parametric modeling and high-lift system design. This software has the following features: (1) it generates and modifies geometric as well as aerodynamic analysis in the conceptual and preliminary aircraft design phases; (2) it integrates high-fidelity computer-aided design (CAD) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software by a graphical user interface(GUI); and (3) it has an aerodynamic/mechanical integrated design and kinematic simulation for a three-dimensional (3D) high-lift device. Based on the application program interface (API) techniques of specialized third-party software, the software integrates B-spline fitting and modeling of airfoil and complex curves, modeling of the fuselage and wings, a high-lift system design, the automatic generation of a structured grid, and high-fidelity CFD code based on Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations. First, the geometry of the fuselage and wing is parametrically generated by lofting with control curves, and then the initial graphics exchange specification (IGES) format geometry is exported to an automatic grid generation module. Finally, the structured grid file is exported to the CFD solver for aerodynamic analysis. The NACA0012 airfoil and DLR-F6 FX2B wing–body model that was published at a workshop are selected for software validation. The cruise configuration model (with nacelle, wingtip, and empennage designed manually) of a 150 seat airliner designed using this software was subsequently used for a high-lift aerodynamic/mechanical integrated design and kinematic simulation. The results illustrate that the software was able to integrate wing–body modeling and high-lift aerodynamic/mechanism design in the conceptual and preliminary aircraft design phases.