A Study On Structural Weight For Joined-Wings And Integrated Design Of Aerodynamics/Structures

The joined-wing is an innovative aircraft configuration with a structural connection between the front wing and the rear wing. Such configurations have several potential advantages including structural weight reduction, high stiffness, low induced drag, hign trimmed maximum lift coefficent, reduced wetted area and parasite drag, direct lift-control capability, direct-sideforce control capability,good stability and control characteridtics. Therefore, many specialists are attracted to study the concept of joined-wings. This paper presented a method investigating the relations between hign-aspect-ratio joined-wing configuration parameter and its wing structural weight. Those realtions is essential for priliminary deisgn of the joined-wing. The joined-wing structural weights were predicated by the combination of parameterized modeling of the finite element method (FEM) with structure optimization method,and the quantitative relations between joined-wing configuration parameters and structural weights were found out using the design of experiment (DOE) method and response surfaces Model. The study results indicated this method was able to find out the relations between the configuration of joined-wings and its structural weight. Those relations can be used as a guidance to size parameters of the joined-wing configuration. The essence of the concept of joined-wings is the integration of its structure and aerodynamics. The best way to obtain an optimum design is by accounting the structural and aerodynamic characteristics simultaneously. We investigated the joined-wing integrated design of aerodynamics/structure, which is implemented using ISIGHT software.