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This paper discusses structure and functionalities of a knowledge-based engineering (KBE) application, called multimodel generator (MMG), developed to support aircraft multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization. Designers can use the MMG as an advanced modelling tool to swiftly generate geometrical models of many and diverse aircraft configurations and variants, by combining and adjusting a limited number of parametric objects, called high-level primitives. Besides capturing the geometric aspects of the design, the MMG also has the capabilities to automate a large part of the lengthy and non-creative pre-processing activities involved in the design verification process. The proposed KBE application has demonstrated to be a valuable solution for some of the critical needs indicated by the multidisciplinary design and optimization community, namely a flexible and robust generative tool to increase the level of automation in aircraft design, including the development of novel configurations; the exploitation of high-fidelity analytical tools already in the early design phase; the management of the design activities across distributed networks of disciplines specialists.

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This paper proposes a novel methodology and its software implementation, called KAD-MOS (Knowledge-and graph-based Agile Design for Multidisciplinary Optimization System), which aims at increasing the agility of aircraft design teams that perform collaborative multidisciplinary design analysis and optimization (MDAO) by means of graph manipulation techniques. By agility, the ease and flexibility to assemble, adapt and adjust MDAO computational systems is intended here, as necessary to better fit the iterative nature of the aircraft design process. KADMOS has been developed on the notion that a formal specification of an MDAO system is required before its actual implementation, especially to be able to compose large and complex systems in multidisciplinary design teams. This specification system is under development as part of the EU project AGILE where a new generation of aircraft MDAO systems is investigated to support collaboration of heterogeneous teams of experts. KADMOS improves the agility of the design team in three ways: 1) reducing the setup time required to compose large and complex MDAO models, 2) enabling the systematic inspection and debugging of this model, and 3) manipulating the model for automated creation and reconfiguration of optimization strategies, including the accompanying executable workflow. This is achieved by means of a graph-based analysis system that combines different existing advantageous techniques for performing MDAO, such as the use of a single shared data schema containing a parametric representation of the aircraft, knowledge-based technologies, and simulation workflow (SWF) software packages. Two MDAO case studies will be presented in the paper. The first case study is based on a simple analytical problem, generally used in literature for MDAO benchmarking studies. The second case study concerns a detailed wing aerostructure design using a collection of wing design tools. While the simple and compact analytical problem is used in this paper to demonstrate the functionalities of the tool, the wing design case demonstrates the capability of KADMOS to support quick formulation, (re)configuration, and execution of MDAO workflows using distributed and heterogeneous sets of analysis tools.

The research and innovation AGILE project has developed an approach, the socalled AGILE Paradigm, focusing on the acceleration of the deployment and operation of collaborative Multidisciplinary Design Analysis Optimization systems, which in turns can be exploited to accelerate the development of complex products, such as novel aerospace systems. Although the technologies developed for the implementation of the paradigm, have proved to reduce the deployment and operational time to more than 40% with respect to conventional MDAO approaches, the AGILE Paradigm has not been formalized and model by digital design engineering practices. This work introduces a novel approach leveraging MBSE principles to streamline the development of agile MDAO design systems, and establishing a bridge between MBSE and MDAO. Major outcomes here presented are the MBSE-driven models of the so-called AGILE MDAO system, representing the architecture, the requirements, as well as the organizational aspects, and all the interactions and activities implemented during the life-cycle stages of the MDAO system. The MBSE Architectural Framework, which defines the underlying ontological concepts and perspectives driving the development of the AGILE MDAO system model, are modeled and presented as well. The paper introduces for the first time the overall approach, as well as the high-level elements of the models developed, here represented by making use of SysML standard. The described approach is at the core of the recently launched project AGILE4.0, in which its scope will be expanded to cover the entire life-cycle of the development of complex aeronautical systems.