Quantifying and Improving Confidence in Model Predictions for Hypersonic Aircraft Structures
Abstract
The current lack of confidence in structural response and life predictions of a vehicle exposed to combined extreme environments for extended durations prevents the USAF from fielding affordable, reliable, and reusable hypersonic platforms. The prohibitive computational cost of high-fidelity, coupled, aerothermoelastic simulation and the inability to fully replicate the high, in-flight, aerodynamic, thermal, and acoustic loads through ground tests poses a significant challenge for assuring the needed confidence in model predictions. The first objective is to enable the quantification uncertainty in coupled multi-physics interactions for fluid-thermal-structural computational models of hypersonic aircraft. The next objective is to propagate and analyze uncertainty for coupled aerothermoelastic predictions to determine the most significant sources of model error. The final objective is to assess prediction confidence for hypersonic aircraft structures, focusing on optimal data collection methods for uncertainty reduction.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 28, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1086866
Entities
People
- Benjamin P. Smarslok
Organizations
- Air Force Research Laboratory