Andres Blair and Mert Utku presents their master’s thesis

Student: Andres Blair, Mert Utku
Main Supervisor: Alexandre Antunes, Heart Aerospace
Examiner: Carlos Xisto
Opponent: David Hanås, Frowin Winkes

Abstract of thesis

The field of aircraft design is continuously advancing through the utilization of scientific techniques and empirical methods. The incorporation of computational methods has facilitated the design process of new and complex aircraft, enabling more efficient conceptual design and optimization. These advancements have the potential to significantly reduce fuel consumption and emissions, making a positive impact on the environment, a critical global concern. The development of battery-electric airplanes represents a significant step towards creating a more sustainable aviation sector. Among the various emerging concepts, the Strut-Braced Wing (SBW) has shown great promise in enhancing aerodynamic efficiency while reducing wing weight.

However, the implementation of new concepts and technologies also presents new challenges and limitations that must be addressed, particularly the impact of aerodynamics on the aircraft’s range, which can impose limitations on its maximum travel distance. The primary objective of this thesis is to minimize the aerodynamic effects of a strut and wing configuration by reducing total drag and increasing the Oswald efficiency of the Strut-Braced Wing during the conceptual design phase.
To achieve this goal, the Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization algorithms are employed, utilizing low-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods. The airfoil data utilized in the study is obtained from the xfoil tool, which provides important viscous aerodynamic characteristics.