Optimal Structural Topology of a Platelike Wing for Subsonic Aeroelastic Stability

This paper discusses the construction of a Pareto tradeoff curve between the flight speed at which a platelike wing encounters an aeroelastic stability and the weight of that wing. The thickness of each finite element is used as a design variable in order to locate the optimal topological reinforcement as a function of the desired location along the Pareto front, as well as the planform of the wing. Three main challenges are addressed. First, the destabilizing flight speed must be located in an accurate and efficient manner. Second, the derivative of the flight speed with respect to a large number of thickness design variables must be computed analytically. Finally, the gradient-based optimization must contend with a discontinuous switch in the critical aeroelastic mode, slowing convergence.