Linear Optimization of Aircraft Hydraulic Piping Networks

This work proposes a linear programming model for the preliminary design of hydraulic piping networks in aircraft systems. The main contribution is a multi-period formulation that integrates, within a single linear framework, design decisions — related to the sizing of pipe cross-sectional areas — and operational decisions — associated with flow distribution across different flight phases. The network is modeled as a directed graph with fixed topology, in which mass flow rates and pipe cross-sectional areas are simultaneously determined. The objective is to minimize a linear approximation of the total network mass, subject to flow conservation, hydraulic capacity, construction limits, and geometric consistency constraints. The formulation was implemented in Python and solved with the Gurobi solver for base and synthetic instances, producing physically consistent solutions, good scalability, and low computational time.