ASTROS - A MULTIDISCIPLINARY AUTOMATED STRUCTURAL DESIGN TOOL

ASTROS (Automated Structural Optimization System) is a multidisciplinary software system that can be used in the preliminary design of aerospace structures. The approach taken in this development project was to blend proven engineering tools into an efficient unified system through the use of a specifically designed software environment. ASTROS has reached the stage at which significant test cases have been performed that have demonstrated the power and versatility of the system. This paper first presents background information that motivated the development of this new system, followed by a discussion of the engineering technologies that have been integrated into ASTROS. Emphasis is placed on some of the more novel features, such as the treatment of flutter constraints and the linking of physical design variables. This discussion is then followed by two representative test cases.