Decision-making of Aircraft Optimum Configuration Utilizing Multidimensional Game Theory

As multi-discipline coupling and components interference often affect the aircraft configuration decision-making and analysis during conceptual design process, this article presents an approach of multidimensional game theory based on aircraft components to deal with this problem. The idea is that the configuration decision-making process is regarded as the game for different disciplines and technologies, and the aircraft components are players. The payoff function with highest total gain means that according to the game protocols and multidimensional theory, the optimal aircraft configuration within the strategy set will be chosen. The decision-making model is applied to conceptual design process of the high altitude long endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based on the assessment of technological risk. The obtained optimum configuration is quite consistent with the current HALE UAV development trends. Thus, taking into account the coupling and interference factors, the multidimensional gaming model based on aircraft components will be an effective analysis method in the decision-making process of aircraft optimum configuration.