Abstract
The serpentine nozzle featured a characteristic asymmetric, large-scale thin-walled structure. Integrated design with the aft-fuselage connection structure to control thermo-aeroelastic deformation while optimizing structural weight constituted a critical aspect of its structural design. The application of Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) materials significantly reduced the structural weight and thermal deformation of the serpentine nozzle. To address the thermo-structural stiffness coupling between the webs and nozzle, a cooperative optimization study of the variable-thickness serpentine nozzle and webs was conducted. This study comprehensively considered material manufacturability, global/local structural stiffness, and strength requirements. The influence of different web configurations on nozzle optimization outcomes was thoroughly analyzed. Under specified structural configurations, the web reinforcement structure reduced the maximum deformation of the CMC serpentine nozzle by over 81.25%. Compared to traditional GH4169 alloy, CMC implementation achieved a 76.37% reduction in deformation while reducing weight by 58.04%. A response surface surrogate model of design parameters was established for optimization. The optimized configuration achieved an additional 27.23% weight reduction while maintaining essentially equivalent deformation levels. Variations in web thickness altered the relative local stiffness across different nozzle regions, consequently causing relocation of the maximum displacement point. Different design boundaries and manufacturing constraints yielded distinct optimal web configurations.
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