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Robust geometric sizing of a small flying wing planform based on evolutionary algorithms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 January 2016

H. Rodríguez-Cortés  and
A. Arias-Montaño
H. Rodríguez-Cortés*
Affiliation:
CINVESTAV-IPN, Col San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico
A. Arias-Montaño
Affiliation:
Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Colonia San José Ticoman, Mexico
*
hrodriguez@cinvestav.mx
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Abstract

In this paper a geometric sizing method for a small electric powered flying wing is proposed. The geometric sizing method aims to reduce the effects of variations in the power plant characteristics on endurance. This results in a single-objective design optimisation problem where the sensitivity to power plant characteristics of the endurance equation is minimised, constrained to Reynolds number, wing load, wing taper ratio, aircraft size and wing sweep angle. As a result, geometric characteristics of the flying wing such as span, tip chord and root chord are obtained. Flying wing aerodynamic characteristics are obtained by means of an inviscid fluid flow analysis program of the type low-order panel methods, known as CMARC. The optimisation problem involves a non convex function so that it is necessary to rely on heuristic programming methods. In particular an Evolutionary Algorithm based on differential evolution is considered.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Aeronautical Journal , Volume 116 , Issue 1176 , February 2012 , pp. 175 - 188
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 2012 

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