A Study on Wing Structural Design and Sizing for a Large Battery-Electric Aircraft

In the development of large battery-electric aircraft, integrating the batteries into the wing is a crucial decision, as it results in a lighter wing structure due to bending relief. To understand the influence of wing-integrated batteries on wing structures, this paper presents a study on the wing structural design and sizing of the Elysian E9X aircraft configuration. In this study, the baseline wing design is defined, and the critical load cases for wing sizing are identified. Wing structural sizing is performed using an in-house aeroelastic optimization tool. The objective of the optimization is to minimize wing mass by adjusting the thickness of the wing design sections, subject to various design constraints, including structural strength, buckling, and aeroelastic instability. Sensitivity studies on wing mass with respect to key design parameters are conducted. The study results confirm that placing the batteries in the wing results in a significant wing structural mass reduction compared to housing the batteries in the fuselage. The wing mass sensitivities to other design parameters, such as the spanwise position of the main landing gear, may serve as input for the next round of aircraft design.