Enhanced multi-fidelity model for flight simulation using global exploration and the Kriging method

Using the global exploration and Kriging-based multi-fidelity analysis methods, this study developed a multi-fidelity aerodynamic database for use in the performance analysis of flight vehicles and for use in flight simulations. Athena vortex lattice, a program based on vortex lattice method, was used as the low-fidelity analysis tool in the multi-fidelity analysis method. The in-house high-fidelity AADL-3D code was based on the Navier–Stokes equations. The AADL-3D code was validated by comparing the data and the analysis results of the Onera M-6 wing and NACA TN 3649. The design of experiment method and the Kriging method were applied to integrate low- and high-fidelity analysis results. General data tendencies were established from the low-fidelity analysis results. The high-fidelity analysis results and the Kriging method were used to generate a surrogate model, from which the low-fidelity analysis results were interpolated. To reduce repeated calculations, three design points were simultaneously added for each calculation. The convergence of three design points was avoided by considering only the peak points as additional design points. The reliability of the final surrogate model was determined by applying the leave-one-out cross-validation method and by obtaining the cross-validation root mean square error. Using the multi-fidelity model developed in this study, a multi-fidelity aerodynamic database was constructed for use in the three degrees of freedom flight simulation of flight vehicles.