Concurrent design and flight mission optimization of morphing airborne wind energy wings
File(s)
Accepted version
Author(s)
Fasel, Urban
Tiso, Paolo
Keidel, Dominic
Ermanni, Paolo
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Morphing wings are expected to have transformative impact on future transportation and energy systems. To enable analysis and optimization of morphing wings, efficient numerical models are critically important. In this work, we present an accurate and tractable reduced-order model embedded in a genetic-algorithm-based optimization framework. The modeling and optimization framework allows concurrent aerostructural design and flight trajectory optimization of morphing wings considering complete flight missions. The approach is demonstrated on a camber-morphing wing airborne wind energy (AWE) system. The system’s power production capability is improved by enabling wing shape changes, and thus adaptation of the aerodynamic properties through morphing at different flight conditions and operating modes. The results of this study highlight the potential of the proposed modeling and optimization approach: 1) the power production capability of the investigated AWE system is improved by 46.0% compared to a sequentially optimized wing design; and 2) by exploiting camber morphing to adapt the aerodynamic properties of the wing at different flight conditions, the power production is further increased by 7.8%.
Date Issued
2021-04
Date Acceptance
2020-09-30
Citation
AIAA Journal: devoted to aerospace research and development, 2021, 59 (4), pp.1254-1268
ISSN
0001-1452
Publisher
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Start Page
1254
End Page
1268
Journal / Book Title
AIAA Journal: devoted to aerospace research and development
Volume
59
Issue
4
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2021 by the authors. Published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc., with permission. All requests for copying and permission to reprint should be submitted to CCC at www.copyright.com; employ the eISSN 1533-385X to initiate your request. See also AIAA Rights and Permissions www.aiaa.org/randp.
Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/1.j059621
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2021-02-10