Conceptual Framework for Multiphysics Modeling in Aerospace Structural Design

This paper develops a conceptual framework for multiphysics modeling in aerospace structural design, aimed at integrating aerodynamic, thermal, mechanical, plasmadynamic, and materials-related processes within a unified computational environment. The necessity of moving beyond isolated modeling of individual physical phenomena toward consistent CFD–FEM approaches accounting for conjugate heat transfer, aeroelastic, and thermomechanical effects is substantiated. The proposed methodology combines finite element and finite volume numerical methods with adaptive discretization, as well as physics-informed neural networks and machine learning techniques for surrogate model construction and reduction of computational complexity. It is shown that fully coupled multiphysics formulations improve the accuracy of predicting temperature fields, deformations, and stress–strain states of structures under complex loading conditions. The results of applying the conceptual model to classes of aerothermomechanical fluid–structure interaction problems, deformation of flexible shells, and plasmadynamic effects are analyzed, and the critical role of coupling schemes, the level of physical fidelity, and verification and validation procedures is identified. Directions for further development are formulated, including the unification of hierarchical problem decomposition, standardization of CFD–FEM–CHT coupling strategies, and the integration of physics-based and data-driven approaches within coherent computational platforms.