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TiGL: An Open Source Computational Geometry Library for Parametric Aircraft Design

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Abstract

This paper introduces the software TiGL: TiGL is an open source geometry modeler that is used in the conceptual and preliminary aircraft and helicopter design phase. It creates full three-dimensional models of aircraft from their parametric CPACS description. Due to its parametric nature, it is typically used for aircraft design analysis and optimization. First, we present the use-case and architecture of TiGL. Then, we discuss its geometry module, which is used to generate the B-spline based surfaces of the aircraft. The backbone of TiGL is its surface generator for curve network interpolation, based on Gordon surfaces. One major part of this paper explains the mathematical foundation of Gordon surfaces on B-splines and how we achieve the required curve network compatibility. Finally, TiGL’s aircraft component module is introduced, which is used to create the external and internal parts of aircraft, such as wings, flaps, fuselages, engines or structural elements.

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Acknowledgements

TiGL has been developed for several years now. During this time TiGL has been developed and improved by many of our colleagues. In particular we would like to thank Markus Litz, who laid the foundation for TiGL. Special thanks go to Bernhard Gruber and Roland Landertshammer from RISC Software for their work on the software development and Merlin Pelz from DLR for the Gordon surface implementation. Finally, many thanks to our colleagues Jonas Jepsen, Philipp Kunze, Sebastian Deinert, Mark Geiger, Volker Poddey, Konstantin Rusch, and Paul Putin for their contributions to TiGL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. German Aerospace Center (DLR), Simulation and Software Technology, Linder Hoehe, 51147, Cologne, Germany

    Martin Siggel, Jan Kleinert & Tobias Stollenwerk

  2. University of Applied Sciences Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, Grantham-Allee 20, 53757, Sankt Augustin, Germany

    Jan Kleinert

  3. Airbus Defence and Space, Structure Analysis and Optimization, Rechliner Str., 85077, Manching, Germany

    Reinhold Maierl

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  1. Martin Siggel
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Correspondence to Martin Siggel.

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Siggel, M., Kleinert, J., Stollenwerk, T. et al. TiGL: An Open Source Computational Geometry Library for Parametric Aircraft Design. Math.Comput.Sci. 13, 367–389 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11786-019-00401-y

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