Research on topology optimization design for UAV airframe structure and wings

Faced with increasing demands for flight endurance, payload capacity, and maneuverability in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), lightweight construction coupled with high strength and stiffness has become a core challenge in structural design. Traditional empirical and form-following design approaches struggle to achieve an optimal balance between weight reduction and performance. This paper focuses on the mid-section of the fuselage and the wings of a specific quadcopter drone, introducing the advanced structural design method of topology optimization. First, the fundamental theory of topology optimization is elaborated, including the mathematical model and optimization formulation of the Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP). Subsequently, a detailed topology optimization design workflow based on finite element analysis is presented for UAV fuselage structures, covering the definition of the design domain, determination of load cases, and establishment of constraints and objective functions. Particular emphasis is placed on in-depth discussions regarding post-processing of optimization results and structural reconstruction strategies. Subsequently, utilizing the ANSYS software platform, topological optimization was performed on the mid-fuselage and wings under static load conditions. Simulation results demonstrate that compared to conventional designs, the topologically optimized structure achieves approximately 25.3% mass reduction while meeting strength and stiffness requirements. Additionally, stress distribution becomes more uniform, and material utilization significantly improves. This study validates the effectiveness and superiority of topology optimization in lightweight UAV structural design, providing crucial theoretical foundations and engineering references for developing high-performance UAV structures.