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Aerospace
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Aircraft Design and System Optimization
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Aircraft Design and System Optimization

A special issue of Aerospace (ISSN 2226-4310). This special issue belongs to the section "Aeronautics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 4678

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Musavir Bashir

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Aircraft Systems Lab, Concordia University, 1455 Blvd. De Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
Interests: aircraft design optimization; aircraft subsystem optimization; integrated design frameworks; multidisciplinary design analysis and optimization
Prof. Dr. Ruxandra Botez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
LARCASE-Aeronautical Research Laboratory in Active Control, Avionics and Aeroservoelasticity, Ecole de Technologie Superieure, 1100 Notre Dame West, Montreal, QC H3C1K3, Canada
Interests: aerodynamic; aeroelasticity; aeroservoelasticity; vibration; modeling and control technologies for deformable wings; active flight control
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Susan Liscouët-Hanke

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada
Interests: aircraft systems architecting; methods and tools for conceptual design; novel aircraft and system architectures for sustainable aviation; model-based systems engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In the dynamic field of aerospace engineering, the quest for optimal aircraft design is a cornerstone of innovation and progress. Pursuing efficiency, performance, and sustainability necessitates continuous exploration and advancement in aircraft design optimization methodologies. In addition, including subsystem analysis is crucial for developing novel aircraft concepts, as it offers invaluable insights into the intricate relationship between various components and their impact on overall aircraft performance and efficiency. This Special Issue seeks to spotlight the latest developments in aircraft design and subsystem optimization, aiming to bridge theoretical insights with practical applications to propel the aerospace industry forward.

This Special Issue invites contributions in the form of original research articles, reviews, and case studies, focusing on addressing the multifaceted challenges inherent in aircraft design optimization. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Integrated Design Frameworks: Novel approaches and frameworks that integrate aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, subsystems, and other disciplines to facilitate holistic aircraft design optimization.

Advanced Optimization Algorithms: Exploration and implementation of cutting-edge optimization algorithms tailored for aircraft design, including genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimization, and evolutionary strategies, among others.

Multi-Fidelity Integration and Consistency: Methodologies aimed at accurately capturing the complex physics involved in aerodynamics, structural dynamics, subsystems, and propulsion systems. These methodologies enable researchers to seamlessly integrate data from various fidelity levels, ranging from low-fidelity conceptual models to high-fidelity detailed simulations.

Surrogate Modeling and Metaheuristic Optimization: Using surrogate models and metaheuristic optimization techniques expedites design exploration while maintaining accuracy and reliability.

Uncertainty Quantification and Robust Design: Strategies for quantifying and managing uncertainties in aircraft design, focusing on robust optimization approaches to enhance design reliability.

Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MADO): Advancements in MDO techniques for simultaneously optimizing across multiple disciplines, addressing challenges such as disciplinary coupling and computational efficiency.

Systems Engineering Methods: Integration of the aircraft design optimization process with model-based systems engineering (MBSE), including, but not limited to, integrating aircraft design with requirements, system architecture, systems modeling languages (such as SysML, Arcadia, etc.), product-line engineering methods, decision-making processes, and verification and validation.

Innovative Aircraft Configurations and Their Subsystem Integration: Exploration and analysis of novel aircraft configurations, including blended-wing bodies, distributed propulsion systems, and unconventional lifting surfaces. Integration and optimization tools must be developed for the conceptual design stage to address current system integration challenges, such as space utilization, power distribution, electrification, safety, and thermal management.

Environmental Considerations and Sustainability: Integration of environmental considerations and sustainability metrics into aircraft design optimization, with a focus on reducing emissions and environmental impact.

This Special Issue serves as a platform for researchers, engineers, and practitioners to disseminate their latest findings, share insights, and foster collaboration in the vibrant field of aircraft design optimization. We welcome contributions that showcase theoretical advancements and practical applications, aiming to shape the future of aerospace engineering.

Finally, I would like to thank Jasper Bussemaker and his valuable work for assisting me with this Special Issue.

Dr. Musavir Bashir
Prof. Dr. Ruxandra Botez
Dr. Susan Liscouët-Hanke
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Aerospace is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aircraft design optimization
  • aircraft Subsystem optimization
  • integrated design frameworks
  • model-based systems engineering (MBSE)
  • advanced optimization algorithms
  • high-fidelity simulations
  • surrogate modeling
  • metaheuristic optimization
  • uncertainty quantification
  • multidisciplinary design analysis and optimization
  • innovative aircraft configurations
  • environmental sustainability

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 4234 KiB  
Article
Introduction of a System Definition in the Common Parametric Aircraft Configuration Schema (CPACS)
by Tim Burschyk, Marko Alder, Andrea Mancini, Thimo Bielsky, Vivian Kriewall, Frank Thielecke and Björn Nagel
Aerospace 2025, 12(5), 373; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12050373 (registering DOI) - 25 Apr 2025
Abstract
The aircraft design process is a complex task that requires the collaboration of disciplinary experts from various fields. In practice, this complexity requires a large investment in setting up communication interfaces for the exchange of disciplinary data, and serious misinterpretations are not uncommon. [...] Read more.
The aircraft design process is a complex task that requires the collaboration of disciplinary experts from various fields. In practice, this complexity requires a large investment in setting up communication interfaces for the exchange of disciplinary data, and serious misinterpretations are not uncommon. To increase the efficiency and robustness of data exchange, a common language is essential. As such, the Common Parametric Aircraft Configuration Schema (CPACS) serves as a central data model, which currently includes detailed parametrizations of aircraft geometry and analysis results from traditional disciplines (e.g., aerodynamics, structure, etc.). However, with the recent interest in alternative propulsion and complex on-board system architectures, CPACS is proving to be too limited to meet the needs of the various disciplinary system experts. The particular challenge here is to enable different views on the same systems, i.e., a functional/logical as well as a geometric/physical representation, without violating the principle of unambiguous data. Therefore, this paper proposes an extension of CPACS which introduces an explicit system definition covering both representations. Its potential is demonstrated by two use cases from disciplinary experts in the field of on-board system design at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), based on data provided by aircraft design experts. Through validation against the experts’ needs, the proposed system definition proves to bridge the gap between preliminary aircraft design and on-board system design, enabling a holistic, robust and efficient aircraft design process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aircraft Design and System Optimization)
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23 pages, 4329 KiB  
Article
Integrated Aircraft Engine Energy Management Based on Game Theory
by Hong Zhang, Chenyang Luo, Xiangping Li, Runcun Li and Zhilong Fan
Aerospace 2025, 12(4), 328; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12040328 - 10 Apr 2025
Viewed by 172
Abstract
The current generation of integrated power systems is represented by the Adaptive Power and Thermal Management System (APTMS). The coupled performance between the APTMS and the aircraft engine significantly increases the difficulty of energy management and optimization. This article establishes an energy-coupled Amesim [...] Read more.
The current generation of integrated power systems is represented by the Adaptive Power and Thermal Management System (APTMS). The coupled performance between the APTMS and the aircraft engine significantly increases the difficulty of energy management and optimization. This article establishes an energy-coupled Amesim model of the APTMS and the aircraft engine to analyze performance conflicts. Energy optimization based on the Stackelberg game model is established, with the aircraft engine as the leader and the APTMS as the follower. The Adaptive Chaotic Particle Swarm Optimization (ACPSO) algorithm is introduced to search for the game equilibrium solution. Simulation results indicate that this energy management strategy can achieve equilibrium and alleviate performance conflict. In flight, the optimal strategy depends on thrust–fuel flow characteristics and cooling power demand. Finally, compared with the multi-objective optimization algorithm MOPSO and the non-cooperative Cournot game model, the advantages of this energy management system based on the Stackelberg game are verified. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aircraft Design and System Optimization)
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16 pages, 31375 KiB  
Article
Aerodynamic Analysis of a Hexacopter with an Inner Tilted-Rotor Configuration During Hovering
by Yao Lei and Chunfeng Luan
Aerospace 2025, 12(4), 317; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12040317 - 8 Apr 2025
Viewed by 187
Abstract
The present work is aimed at investigating the arrangement design of an inner tilted-rotor hexacopter to optimize aerodynamic performance with different rotor spacing ratios (s/D) and dihedral angles (β). Both experiments and numerical simulations were applied for [...] Read more.
The present work is aimed at investigating the arrangement design of an inner tilted-rotor hexacopter to optimize aerodynamic performance with different rotor spacing ratios (s/D) and dihedral angles (β). Both experiments and numerical simulations were applied for different rotor arrangements, and the better rotor agreement was related to both higher thrust and lower power consumption. The results show that hovering efficiency is mainly affected by rotor spacing ratios and dihedral angles. Appropriate rotor spacing with moderate rotor interference from the blade tip vortices, as well as downwash flow, reduce vortex distortion and fragmentation. The results show that a hexacopter with inner tilted-rotors obtains a larger thrust and smaller power with a high factor of merit (FM) at s/D = 1.6 and β = 40°, and this is considered to be the optimal arrangement for a hexacopter with excellent aerodynamic characteristics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aircraft Design and System Optimization)
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22 pages, 1599 KiB  
Article
Airfoil Optimization and Analysis Using Global Sensitivity Analysis and Generative Design
by Pablo Rouco, Pedro Orgeira-Crespo, Guillermo David Rey González and Fernando Aguado-Agelet
Aerospace 2025, 12(3), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12030180 - 24 Feb 2025
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 489
Abstract
This research investigates the optimization of airfoil design for fixed-wing drones, aiming to enhance aerodynamic efficiency and reduce drag. The research employs Kulfan CST and Bézier surface parameterization methods combined with global sensitivity analysis (GSA) and machine learning techniques to improve airfoil performance [...] Read more.
This research investigates the optimization of airfoil design for fixed-wing drones, aiming to enhance aerodynamic efficiency and reduce drag. The research employs Kulfan CST and Bézier surface parameterization methods combined with global sensitivity analysis (GSA) and machine learning techniques to improve airfoil performance under various operational conditions. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is utilized to optimize the airfoil design, minimizing drag in cruise and ascent conditions while ensuring lift at takeoff. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, primarily using XFOIL, validate the aerodynamic performance of the optimized airfoils. This study also explores the generative design approach using a neural network trained on 10 million airfoil simulations to predict airfoil geometry based on desired performance criteria. The results show important improvements in drag reduction, especially during low-speed cruise and ascent phases, contributing to extended flight endurance and efficiency. These results can be used for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in real-world applications to develop better-performance UAVs under mission-specific constraints. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aircraft Design and System Optimization)
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23 pages, 8949 KiB  
Article
Optimized Design and Test of Geometrically Nonlinear Static Aeroelasticity Model for High-Speed High-Aspect-Ratio Wing
by Xing Li, Wei Qian, Ling Xiao, Xinyu Ai and Jun Liu
Aerospace 2024, 11(12), 1015; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11121015 - 10 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 739
Abstract
Large transport aircraft tend to adopt a wing layout with a high aspect ratio and swept-back angle due to the requirement of a high lift-to-drag ratio. Composite material is typically employed to ensure the light weight of the structure, causing serious static aeroelasticity [...] Read more.
Large transport aircraft tend to adopt a wing layout with a high aspect ratio and swept-back angle due to the requirement of a high lift-to-drag ratio. Composite material is typically employed to ensure the light weight of the structure, causing serious static aeroelasticity problems to the aircraft. When the airplane is flying in the transonic region, its aerodynamic load is very complex, and the large load leads to large deformation of the wing, triggering geometric nonlinear effects, which further affects the static aerodynamic elasticity characteristics of the wing. In this study, in order to study the static aeroelastic characteristics of the transonic flow of a high-aspect-ratio airfoil, a new design method of the scaled similar optimization model is described, and the change in the model lift coefficient due to geometrically nonlinear static aeroelasticity effects when the angle of attack is changed was investigated by using simulation and wind tunnel test methods. In order to ensure the accuracy of the wing shape when the model was deformed greatly, this study employed the structural design scheme of the wing with the skin as the main stiffness component, and the thicknesses of different regions of the skin were used as the design variables for the stiffness optimization design. The engineering algorithm of nonlinear finite elements was used in this study to calculate the curve of lift with the angle of attack considering the geometric nonlinear static aeroelasticity effect. The results show that the similarity optimization process employed in this study can be used to complete the design of the high-speed aerostatic wing test model, and the wind tunnel test results show that geometric nonlinearity has a large impact on the lift coefficient of the wing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aircraft Design and System Optimization)
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23 pages, 4551 KiB  
Article
A Model-Based Optimization Method of ARINC 653 Multicore Partition Scheduling
by Pujie Han, Wentao Hu, Zhengjun Zhai and Min Huang
Aerospace 2024, 11(11), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11110915 - 7 Nov 2024
Viewed by 1126
Abstract
ARINC 653 Part 1 Supplement 5 (ARINC 653P1-5) provides temporal partitioning capabilities for real-time applications running on the multicore processors in Integrated Modular Avionics (IMAs) systems. However, it is difficult to schedule a set of ARINC 653 multicore partitions to achieve a minimum [...] Read more.
ARINC 653 Part 1 Supplement 5 (ARINC 653P1-5) provides temporal partitioning capabilities for real-time applications running on the multicore processors in Integrated Modular Avionics (IMAs) systems. However, it is difficult to schedule a set of ARINC 653 multicore partitions to achieve a minimum processor occupancy. This paper proposes a model-based optimization method for ARINC 653 multicore partition scheduling. The IMA multicore processing system is modeled as a network of timed automata in UPPAAL. A parallel genetic algorithm is employed to explore the solution space of the IMA system. Owing to a lack of priori information for the system model, the configuration of genetic operators is self-adaptively controlled by a Q-learning algorithm. During the evolution, each individual in a population is evaluated independently by compositional model checking, which verifies each partition in the IMA system and combines all the schedulability results to form a global fitness evaluation. The experiments show that our model-based method outperforms the traditional analytical methods when handling the same task loads in the ARINC 653 multicore partitions, while alleviating the state space explosion of model checking via parallelization acceleration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aircraft Design and System Optimization)
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26 pages, 11593 KiB  
Article
Experimental Parameter Identification and an Evaluation of the Impact of Tire Models on the Dynamics of Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
by Hikaru Eguchi and Daisuke Nakata
Aerospace 2024, 11(8), 620; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11080620 - 29 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1022
Abstract
Because fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) require high-speed taxiing for takeoff and landing, the aircraft’s stability during taxiing is critical. However, despite research on the taxiing stability of fixed-wing UAVs conducted in taxiing motion simulations employing various tire models, the applicability of the [...] Read more.
Because fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) require high-speed taxiing for takeoff and landing, the aircraft’s stability during taxiing is critical. However, despite research on the taxiing stability of fixed-wing UAVs conducted in taxiing motion simulations employing various tire models, the applicability of the models to fixed-wing UAV taxiing simulations remains unclear, as does the rationale behind the parameter settings in the models. Therefore, in our study, we measured the forces acting on the tires of a fixed-wing UAV under various conditions, including tire loads of 1.6–3.6 kg and tire slip angles of 0–40 deg. Based on the results, we modified conventional tire models and assessed their applicability in taxiing simulations. Among our findings, the parameter values of the models significantly differed from those used in crewed aircraft taxiing simulations, and the presence or absence of load parameters in the lateral force tire models significantly affected the dynamics. Furthermore, the aerodynamics acting on the aircraft enhanced the straight-line stability during taxiing, resulting in reduced forces on the tires. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aircraft Design and System Optimization)
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