Design encompasses a spectrum of aerospace-related fields including traditional aerospace disciplines (structures, propulsion, aerodynamics, controls, acoustics, etc.), performance (mission analysis, payload, etc.), and life-cycle interests (economics, manufacturing maintainability, supportability, etc.). Overall, a designer tries to achieve performance goals and customer and engineering requirements in the presence of conflict and uncertainty. The long-range vision of the graduate research effort is to develop a virtual design environment that permits a designer to easily make the decisions leading to robust aerospace solutions.
Students investigate design-related topics in the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL). The ASDL, founded in 1992, is one of a small number of academic/educational research laboratories in the country focusing on aerospace systems design. The Laboratory consists of a number of research centers that share office and laboratory space, classroom and conference facilities, and computing resources. The facilities include a graduate research center, a design simulation facility with real-time visualization and man-in-the-loop capabilities, a design education and training center, and an aerial robotic helicopter design-build-fly laboratory. Since design is inherently a multidisciplinary activity, it is essential that students and faculty, from a variety of groups, have the opportunity to work closely in teams. Drawing on the success of the ASDL, a Center for Aerospace Systems Analysis (CASA) was formed in 1997 and represents a true partnership with industry. CASA is a cooperative teaming agreement that advances the state-of-the-art in basic sciences with industry relevance.
The Laboratory maintains a vision of excellence in aerospace design across the vehicle spectrum: fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and spaceflight. To do so, the ASDL is at the center of a strong research program, diverse industry collaboration, and innovative design strategies. Most students are co-advised between design and a traditional discipline to insure that both breath and depth are covered. Students have the option of pursuing a practice-oriented masters and/or a discovery-focused doctorate in design. Groups collaborate on joint research projects when appropriate. Such collaboration is highly effective for design research. It is facilitated by the proximity of the groups to each other and to the research facilities. This program provides a visible identity for research and teaching in design engineering and analysis methods.
Research programs involve strong industry support to encourage pursuit of relevant topics. The ASDL has active intern programs and yearly awards fellowships from NASA, DoD, NSF, and industry. Industry panels critically review capstone design program progress, offering valuable student recognition. Students are encouraged to travel to conferences to present research results as well as to collaborate with experts in their field.
Georgia Tech's ASDL researchers seek to identify a suitable design environment
to guide designers in obtaining engineering solutions with life-cycle
considerations. The optimal process is systematic, and aerospace products
are evaluated at all levels of design detail with proper consideration
of life-cycle implications. In isolation, proper requirement models, stochastic
design methods, and an emphasis on physics based analysis and affordability
are incomplete avenues for complex system synthesis. All of these aspects
are combined in the design approach. Representative research tasks include
the following:
• Disciplinary research with a focus on design integration
• Vehicle investigation: high-speed civil transport, unmanned vehicles,
reusable launch vehicles, rotorcraft
• Life-cycle modeling tools: manufacturing, operations and support,
economics
• Design techniques with industry relevance: trade-studies, “optimization”,
partitioning, representation, execution, and review
• Soft computing techniques: neural networks, fuzzy logic, chaos,
genetic algorithms
• Stochastic methods: response surfaces, probabilistic design, and
robust design
• Implementation: simulation, computational methods and tools, and
underlying architecture support.