Gust Simulations and Optimizations for an Efficient Supersonic Air Vehicle

Stresses resulting from wind gusts may cause large-scale structural deformation or even failure which is why all aircraft need to be able to withstand increased loads from gusts. However, a large factor of safety will make the structure heavy and the overall aircraft less efficient. Thus, the need for accurate prediction of gust responses is motivated by both safety and efficiency. In this paper the gust responses of an efficient supersonic air vehicle (ESAV) are simulated with an Euler method to conduct parameter studies by varying flow conditions and geometric parameters as well as optimizations. The geometry is assumed to be rigid and only longitudinal gust profiles are considered, though the employed method could model any gust. An inverse design optimization is used to demonstrate and verify the developed gust optimization capabilities with adjoint techniques and then a lift-constrained drag minimization is carried out. This work is a further step towards developing the capabilities of a multi-fidelity, multidisciplinary analysis and optimization of this type of vehicle.