Modules

CEASIOM is meant to support engineers in the conceptual design process of the aircraft, with emphasis on the improved prediction of stability and control properties achieved by higher-fidelity methods than found in contemporary aircraft design tools.

Moreover, CEASIOM integrates into one application the main design disciplines, aerodynamics, structures, and flight dynamics, impacting on the aircraft’s performance. It is thus a tri-disciplinary analysis brought to bear on the design of the aero-servoelastic aircraft.

 CEASIOM does not however carry out the entire conceptual design process. It requires as input an initial layout as the baseline configuration that it then refines and outputs as the revised layout. In doing this, CEASIOM, through its simulation modules, generates significant knowledge about the design in the performance, loads, and stability and control databases. The information contained in these databases is sufficient input to a six Degree of Freedom engineering flight simulator.

Here is an overview of the CEASIOM software, showing aspects of its functionality, process and dataflow. Significant features are developed and integrated in CEASIOM as modules:

1. The Geometry module AcBuilder

The starting point of CEASIOM: the aircraft builder module.
Allow user to define a parametrized geometry of an aircraft and visualize it.

 

2. The Aerodynamic module AMB-CFD

A replacement of current handbook aerodynamic methods (Digital DATCOM) with new adaptable fidelity modules:

  • Steady and unsteady TORNADO vortex-lattice code (VLM) for low-speed aerodynamics and aeroelasticity
  • Panel method, such as dwfSolve
  • Inviscid Euler solver EDGE for high-speed aerodynamics (based on meshes generated by the external tools SUMO and TetGen)
  • CFD tools: RANS (Reynolds Averaged NavierStokes) flow simulator for high fidelity analysis of extreme flight conditions

 

3. The Stability and Control module SDSA

SDSA (Simulation and Dynamic Stability Analysis) is the SimSAC-developed and license-free S&C software which includes a LQR-based flight control system package, a static and dynamic stability and control analyser and flying-quality assessor. Test flights with six Degrees of Freedom flight simulation, and performance prediction are among the major functionalities of this module.

 

4. The Flight Control System design module FCSDT

A designer toolkit for flight control-law formulation, simulation and technical decision support, permitting flight control system design philosophy and architecture to be coupled early in the conceptual design phase

 

5. The Aeroelastic module NeoCASS

Quasi-analytical structural analysis methods that support aero-elastic problem formulation and solution