Development of a Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Framework Applied on UAV Design

Abstract: The present thesis deals with the topic of Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO) and in particular with the development of a framework for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) design. The orientation of the research and the overall outlook of the case-study have been based on Saab’s proposal regarding the application of MDO in complex products and are in compliance with the guidelines of the Innovative Multidisciplinary Product Optimization (IMPOz) project initiative. For this initial stage of the project, five principle engineering disciplines related to aircraft design were considered and those were namely the geometric design, the aerodynamics, the antenna analysis, the Radar Cross Section (RCS) signature, and the mission simulation. The aforementioned disciplines were expressed within the framework by developing computational models which were further based on a relevant set of engineering tools. In the present case-study, the primary focus was on using the indicated engineering tools which are available to both Linköping University and Saab but also to investigate viable and more efficient alternatives. A simple optimization strategy was implemented as a guide for the integration of the models and the core framework configuration was evaluated by using the Design Of Experiments (DOE) method. Finally, the use of metamodels as a tool that can increase the computational efficiency of the framework was analyzed and a preliminary optimization of the product was performed as an example of the framework’s capabilities.