Publications

Journal Article

Aerodynamic shape optimization of a supersonic transport including a subsonic static margin constraint

authors

S. Seraj, A. Yildirim, and J. R. R. A. Martins

journal

Aerospace Science and Technology, 166110565, 2025

doi

10.1016/j.ast.2025.110565

PDF 
@article{Seraj2025b,
  author = {Seraj, Sabet and Yildirim, Anil and Martins, Joaquim R. R. A.},
  doi = {10.1016/j.ast.2025.110565},
  journal = {Aerospace Science and Technology},
  keywords = {ank, scalos},
  month = nov,
  pages = {110565},
  pdfurl = {https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sabet-Seraj/publication/393444998_Aerodynamic_shape_optimization_of_a_supersonic_transport_including_a_subsonic_static_margin_constraint/links/687b32a77d202419e84d5c7b/Aerodynamic-shape-optimization-of-a-supersonic-transport-including-a-subsonic-static-margin-constraint.pdf},
  title = {Aerodynamic shape optimization of a supersonic transport including a subsonic static margin constraint},
  volume = {166},
  year = {2025}
}
Google Scholar

Designing supersonic transport aircraft requires accounting for performance and stability at high-speed and low-speed conditions. Previous work demonstrated that there is a trade-off between high-speed performance and low-speed stability. Numerical optimization presents the opportunity to obtain the best high-speed performance while requiring stability at low speeds. We perform RANS-based aerodynamic shape optimization with a component-based geometry parameterization approach that enables the optimization of a three-surface supersonic transport configuration. We minimize drag at a supersonic cruise condition with and without a constraint on subsonic pitch stability. The stability constraint enforces a target static margin at a subsonic takeoff condition. The stable optimized designs use larger leading-edge flap deflections at the subsonic condition and have thicker wings. The thicker wings increase the supersonic drag by 0.5% for neutral stability and 0.85% for a 10% static margin. These results demonstrate that aerodynamic shape optimization is a valuable tool for designing supersonic transport aircraft accounting for supersonic performance and subsonic stability.