AVEC: A Computational Design Environment for Conceptual Innovations

Abstract : This report summarizes programming techniques that aid multidisciplinary design programmers in developing computational designs that measure AFRL technology effectiveness. These techniques have been collected into an object-oriented design environment. The Air Vehicle Environment in C++ (AVEC) prototypes a practical approach toward computational design. Design innovators will benefit from AVEC at one of three levels. These three levels target (a) the end user through interactive operations and file I/O, (b) the object-oriented programmer through a compiled library of properly documented and inheritable objects, and (c) the AVEC developer who wishes to enhance AVEC capability with modifications to the source code. The pilot code presented here focuses on parent-child relationships, automated dependency management, geometry, meshing and analysis. All together, the overall capability leads to design variant management that will populate a response surface model and thereby address design optimization. The target SensorCraft design mission involves a suite of aeroelastic concepts with geometric non-linearity, in the form of non-linear coupling, large deformations and follower forces.