Research on the optimization model of aircraft structure design for cost

In the future aircraft development, cost will be one of the most important factors to be considered. The key technologies about aircraft design for cost include: cost estimation for aircraft, establishment of cost target and life cycle cost model, evaluation and tradeoff of the cost and performance, multidisciplinary design optimization. A methodology of the development of an optimization model of aircraft structures design for cost is presented. Cost is integrated into the product definition process as an engineering parameter at the early stage of design which has a major influence on the product life cycle cost. The methodology developed is generic and fundamental in developing causal predictions of manufacturing cost. Design optimization process can be achieved by linking manufacturing cost models with structural analysis models through shared design parameters. The optimization process, which consists of single-objective and multi-objective optimization, focuses on direct operation cost (DOC) as a function of acquisition cost and fuel burn. Through contrast and analysis, the trade-off between weight and DOC is considered more reasonable than either the traditional optimization for weight or for DOC, which is proposed to be adopted in airframe structural design.