Browsing by Author "Odendaal, Diwan U."
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Item Open Access Computational investigation of the aerodynamic performance of an optimised alternative fuselage shape(Emerald, 2024-06-05) Odendaal, Diwan U.; Smith, Lelanie; Craig, Kenneth J.; Sanders, Drewan S.Purpose – The purpose of this study is to re-evaluation fuselage design when the main wing’s has the ability to fulfill stability requirements without the need for a tailplane. The aerodynamic requirements of the fuselage usually involve a trade-off between reducing drag and providing enough length for positioning the empennage to ensure stability. However, if the main wing can fulfill the stability requirements without the need for a tailplane, then the fuselage design requirements can be re-evaluated. The optimisation of the fuselage can then include reducing drag and also providing a component of lift amongst other potential new requirements. Design/methodology/approach – A careful investigation of parameterisation and trade-off optimisation methods to create such fuselage shapes was performed. The A320 Neo aircraft is optimised using a parameterised 3D fuselage model constructed with a modified PARSEC method and the SHERPA optimisation strategy, which was validated through three case studies. The geometry adjustments in relation to the specific flow phenomena are considered for the three optimal designs to investigate the influencing factors that should be considered for further optimisation. Findings – The top three aerodynamic designs show a distinctive characteristic in the low aspect ratio thick wing-like aftbody that has pressure drag penalties, and the aftbody camber increased surface area notably improved the fuselage’s lift characteristics. Originality/value – This work contributes to the development of a novel set of design requirements for a fuselage, free from the constraints imposed by stability requirements. By gaining insights into the flow phenomena that influence geometric designs when a lift requirement is introduced to the fuselage, we can understand how the fuselage configuration was optimised. This research lays the groundwork for identifying innovative design criteria that could extend into the integration of propulsion of the aftbody.Item Open Access Validation case studies of a numerical approach towards optimization of novel fuselage geometries(AIAA, 2023-01-19) Odendaal, Diwan U.; Smith, Lelanie; Craig, Ken; Mutangara, Ngonidzashe; Sanders, Drewan S.Optimization studies for improved fuselage designs primarily focus on drag reduction. However, when considering an alternative configuration where the stability requirements are assumed to be fulfilled by the main wing, eliminating the need for a tailplane, the fuselage design requirements are reconsidered. This work considers not only the reduction of drag but ensuring a component of lift as well as considering energy recovery potential for propulsion integration. The numerical modelling approach (turbulence model selection, optimization strategy and application of the Power Balance Method) is evaluated through a series of validation cases to determine a level of robustness and certainty. Three cases studies are completed: a 2D, compressible transonic RAE2282 airfoil, a 3D, incompressible low-drag body F-57 and a 3D, compressible body MBB3. The final approach includes a polyhedral mesh and SST k-ω turbulence model combined with multi-objective tradeoff optimization. Application of the Power Balance Method was validated within 1% for incompressible cases, however for the compressible cases the drag coefficient showed increasing deviation (1.3%) due to residual dissipative quantities.