RCAIDE.Library.Methods.Powertrain.Sources.Fuel_Tanks.Non_Integral_Tank.compute_wing_transverse_non_integral_tank_volume

compute_wing_transverse_non_integral_tank_volume#

compute_wing_transverse_non_integral_tank_volume(fuel_tank, wing, fuel_tanks)[source]#

Computes the volume of an aft fuel tank for a Blended Wing Body (BWB) aircraft configuration.

This function calculates the maximum possible fuel tank volume that can fit within the aft section of a BWB wing, considering airfoil geometry, structural constraints, and tank dimensions. The tank is designed as a cylindrical tank with rounded ends positioned within the aft portion of the wing segments.

Parameters:

  • fuel_tank (Fuel_Tank) –

    Fuel tank object containing tank specifications and parameters
    • aft_tank_start_root_chordfloat

      Starting position of aft tank as fraction of root chord

    • aft_tank_end_rood_chordfloat

      Ending position of aft tank as fraction of root chord

    • aft_tank_end_segment_tagstr

      Tag of the wing segment where aft tank ends

    • wing_root_tagstr

      Tag of the root wing segment

    • radial_offsetfloat

      Radial clearance from wing structure

    • wall_thicknessfloat

      Thickness of tank walls

    • fuelFuel

      Fuel properties including density

    • orientation_euler_angleslist

      Euler angles defining tank orientation

  • wing (Wing) –

    Wing object containing segment geometry and airfoil data
    • segmentsdict

      Dictionary of wing segments with their properties

    • chords.rootfloat

      Root chord length

    • spans.projectedfloat

      Projected wing span

Returns:

volume – Maximum possible internal volume of the aft fuel tank

Return type:

float

Notes

The function processes multiple wing segments to determine the optimal tank dimensions. It uses airfoil coordinate data to find the largest possible circular cross-section that fits within the wing geometry at each spanwise location.

Major Assumptions

  • Tank is cylindrical with rounded ends

  • Tank is symmetric about the aircraft centerline

  • Airfoil coordinate files are available and properly formatted

  • Wing segments are properly defined with airfoil data

Theory

The tank volume is calculated as the sum of a cylindrical section and hemispherical end caps:

\[V = \pi r^2 l + \frac{4}{3}\pi r^3\]

where r is the tank radius and l is the cylindrical length.