Wing Structural Sizing Insights for a Large Battery-Electric Aircraft

Abstract

Integrating batteries into the wing is a critical design choice in the development of battery-electric aircraft, offering significant benefits for structural weight reduction due to bending relief. To understand the influence of wing-integrated batteries on wing structures, this work investigates the preliminary wing structural sizing for a 90-seater battery-electric aircraft. A baseline wing configuration is defined, and critical load cases are identified based on the constructed V–n diagram. An in-house aeroelastic optimization tool is employed for wing structural sizing and is enhanced to account for flap-deflected load cases by updating the airfoil camber-line input to the aerodynamic model. The objective of the optimization is to minimize wing mass through thickness adjustments of wing sections, subject to various constraints, including structural strength, buckling, and aeroelastic stability. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the influence of battery integration and other design parameters, such as spar chordwise position and material properties, on wing structural mass. The results show that placing the batteries in the wing leads to a significant wing structural mass reduction compared with housing the batteries in the fuselage. The wing mass sensitivities to key design parameters provide valuable insights to guide future electric aircraft design iterations.