Mission and Shape Optimization of a HALE Aircraft including Transient Power and Thermal Constraints

The co-design of aircraft, their subsystems, and their mission profile presents an opportunity to obtain higher performance vehicles tailored for their intended missions. In particular, the effect of the Power and Thermal Management System (PTMS) can have a significant impact on mission performance. Therefore, the vehicle’s aerodynamic shape, its PTMS sizing, and mission trajectory may be closely coupled and simultaneous optimization may yield significant performance gains. This paper explores the coupling of these three disciplines for a transient optimization problem. The coupled design process is illustrated using a hybrid-electric High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) aircraft. Both a sequential and fully coupled design are conducted and the results compared.