Ilan Kroo
Thomas V. Jones Professor in the School of Engineering
Aeronautics and Astronautics
Bio
Professor Kroo's research involves work in three general areas: multidisciplinary optimization and aircraft synthesis, unconventional aircraft, and low-speed aerodynamics. Current research in the field of aircraft synthesis, sponsored by NASA and industry, includes the development of a new computational architecture for aircraft design, and its integration with numerical optimization. Studies of unconventional configurations employ rapid turnaround analysis methods in the design of efficient subsonic and supersonic commercial aircraft. Recent research has included investigation of configurations such as joined wings, oblique wings, and tailless aircraft. Nonlinear low-speed aerodynamics studies have focused on vortex wake roll-up, refined computation of induced drag, the design of wing tips, and the aerodynamics of maneuvering aircraft.
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
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Elected Member, National Academy of Engineering (2013 - Present)
Professional Education
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PhD, Stanford University (1983)
2024-25 Courses
- Aircraft Design
AA 146A (Aut) - Aircraft Design Laboratory
AA 146B (Win) - Sustainable Aviation
AA 260 (Spr) -
Independent Studies (4)
- Directed Research and Writing in Aero/Astro
AA 190 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum) - Independent Study in Aero/Astro
AA 199 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum) - Practical Training
AA 291 (Aut, Win, Spr, Sum) - Problems in Aero/Astro
AA 290 (Aut, Win, Spr)
- Directed Research and Writing in Aero/Astro
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Prior Year Courses
2023-24 Courses
- Aircraft Design: Synthesis and Analysis
AA 241A (Win) - Aircraft Design: Synthesis and Analysis
AA 241B (Spr) - Applied Aerodynamics
AA 200 (Aut)
2022-23 Courses
- Applied Aerodynamics
AA 200 (Win) - Atmospheric Flight
AA 141 (Aut)
2021-22 Courses
- Aircraft Design
AA 146A (Win) - Aircraft Design Laboratory
AA 146B (Spr) - Applied Aerodynamics
AA 200 (Win) - Atmospheric Flight
AA 141 (Aut)
- Aircraft Design: Synthesis and Analysis
Stanford Advisees
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Doctoral Dissertation Advisor (AC)
Loren Newton -
Master's Program Advisor
William Ho, Sean Lin, Adrian Loekman, Sebastian Monsalvo
All Publications
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Control of Multiple UAVs for Persistent Surveillance: Algorithm and Flight Test Results
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON CONTROL SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY
2012; 20 (5): 1236-1251
View details for DOI 10.1109/TCST.2011.2167331
View details for Web of Science ID 000305981300009
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Metric for Comparing Lifetime Average Climate Impact of Aircraft
AIAA JOURNAL
2011; 49 (8): 1600-1613
View details for DOI 10.2514/1.J050763
View details for Web of Science ID 000293679900003
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Aerodynamic Performance of Extended Formation Flight
48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition
AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT. 2011: 855–65
View details for DOI 10.2514/1.C031046
View details for Web of Science ID 000291574700014
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Multidisciplinary Considerations in the Design of Wings and Wing Tip Devices
AIAA 26th Applied Aerodynamics Conference
AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT. 2010: 534–43
View details for DOI 10.2514/1.41833
View details for Web of Science ID 000276565300017
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Two-Level Multifidelity Design Optimization Studies for Supersonic Jets
AIAA 43rd Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit
AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT. 2009: 776–90
View details for DOI 10.2514/1.34362
View details for Web of Science ID 000266894200005
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ENHANCED COLLABORATIVE OPTIMIZATION: A DECOMPOSITION-BASED METHOD FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY DESIGN
ASME International Design Engineering Technical Conferences/Computers and Information in Engineering Conference
AMER SOC MECHANICAL ENGINEERS. 2009: 927–936
View details for Web of Science ID 000264180000087
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Persistent surveillance using multiple unmanned air vehicles
2008 IEEE Aerospace Conference
IEEE. 2008: 88–101
View details for Web of Science ID 000258321200009
- A Multifidelity Gradient-Free Optimization Method and Application to Aerodynamic Design 2008
- Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Energy Extraction from Atmospheric Turbulence 2008
- Control and Design of Multiple Unmanned Air Vehicles for a Persistent Surveillance Task 2008
- Tip Extensions, Winglets, and C-wings: Conceptual Design and Optimization 2008
- Extracting Energy from Atmospheric Turbulence 2008
- Multi-Objective Aircraft Optimization for Minimum Cost and Emissions over Specific Route Networks 2008
- Enhanced Collaborative Optimization: Application to an Analytic Test Problem and Aircraft Design 2008
- Multifidelity Optimization Methodology for Incorporating Advanced Technologies into Conceptual Design 2008
- Multifidelity Design Optimization of Low-Boom Supersonic Jets Journal of Aircraft 0021-8669 2008; 45 (1): 106-118
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Multifidelity design optimization of low-boom supersonic sets
AIAA/ISSMO 10th Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference
AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT. 2008: 106–18
View details for DOI 10.2514/1.28948
View details for Web of Science ID 000252820400013
- Stanford University, Stanford, CA, Neutral Energy Cycles for a Vehicle in Sinusoidal and Turbulent Vertical Gusts 2007
- NASA Ames Research Center, Probability Collectives for Optimization of Computer Simulations 2007
- Aircraft Family Design Using Decomposition-based Methods 2006
- Control Law Design for Improving UAV Performance Using Wind Turbulence 2006
- Optimization Under Uncertainty Using Probability Collectives 2006
- Robust Objective Functions for Sonic-Boom Minimization Journal of Aircraft, 0021-8669 2006; 43 (5): 1301-1306
- Conceptual Design of Conventional and Oblique Wing Configurations for Small Supersonic Aircraft 2006
- Two Dimensional Unsteady Aerodynamics of Miniature Trailing Edge Effectors 2006
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Framework for aircraft conceptual design and environmental performance studies
AIAA/ISSMO 10th Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization Conference
AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT. 2005: 2100–2109
View details for Web of Science ID 000232328600003
- Unconventional Configurations for Efficient Supersonic Flight 2005
- Flight Control with Distributed Effectors 2005
- Nonplanar Wing Concepts for Increased Aircraft Efficiency 2005
- Two-Level Multi-Fidelity Design Optimization Studies for Supersonic Jets 2005
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Aircraft optimization for minimal environmental impact
AIAA Aircraft Technology, Integration, and Operations Technical Forum (ATIO 2002)
AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT. 2004: 790–97
View details for Web of Science ID 000223178700012
- Aeronautical Applications of Evolutionary Design 2004
- Computational Investigation of Airfoils with Miniature Trailing Edge Control Surfaces 2004
- Innovations in Aeronautics – Dryden Lectureship in Research 2004
- Computational Investigation of Wings with Miniature Trailing Edge Control Surfaces 2004
- A Framework for Aircraft Conceptual Design and Environmental Performance Studies 2004
- Discrete, Continuous, and Constrained Optimization Using Collectives 2004
- Multi-fidelity Design Optimization of Low-boom Supersonic Business Jets 2004
- Distributed Multidisciplinary Design and Collaborative Optimization 2004
- Collectives and Complex System Design 2004
- Optimizing Aircraft Design and Fleet Composition for Environmental Compliance 2004
- Fleet Assignment Using Collective Intelligence 2004
- Development and Testing of an Experimental Aeroelastic Model with Micro-Trailing Edge Effectors 2003
- NATO Course in Novel Aircraft Design Concepts for the 21st Century Instituto Superior Técnico Centro de Congressos, Lisbon PORTUGAL 2003
- Design-Oriented Aerodynamic Analysis for Supersonic Laminar Flow Wings 2003
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Aeroelastic design optimization of a two-spar flexible wind-tunnel model
JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT
2002; 39 (6): 1074-1076
View details for Web of Science ID 000179761800020
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Mesoscale flight and miniature rotorcraft development
Conference on Fixed, Flapping and Rotary Wing Aerodynamics at Very Low Reynolds Numbers
AMER INST AERONAUTICS & ASTRONAUTICS. 2002: 503–517
View details for Web of Science ID 000173139900023
- Optimizing Aircraft and Operations for Minimum Noise 2002
- Aircraft Optimization for Minimal Environmental Impact 2002
- Flutter Suppression for High Aspect Ratio Flexible Wings Using Microflaps 2002
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Analysis and design of airfoils for use at ultra-low Reynolds numbers
Conference on Fixed, Flapping and Rotary Wing Aerodynamics at Very Low Reynolds Numbers
AMER INST AERONAUTICS & ASTRONAUTICS. 2002: 35–60
View details for Web of Science ID 000173139900003
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Drag due to lift: Concepts for prediction and reduction
ANNUAL REVIEW OF FLUID MECHANICS
2001; 33: 587-617
View details for Web of Science ID 000167680000019
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Collaborative optimization using response surface estimation
AIAA JOURNAL
2000; 38 (10): 1931-1938
View details for Web of Science ID 000089559800018
- Design and Development of the SWIFT - A Foot-Launched Sailplane 2000
- Supersonic Civil Transport Design Using Collaborative Optimization 2000
- Aeroservoelastic Control Using Redundant Microactuators 2000
- Development of the Mesicopter - A miniature autonomous rotorcraft 2000
- A 2D multidisciplinary design method for boundary layer ingesting inlets Rodriguez 1999
- Multidisciplinary optimization of a natural laminar flow supersonic aircraft Manning 1999
- Boundary layer calculations for preliminary design of wings in supersonic flow Sturdza, Peter, Manning 1999
- Aerodynamic Concepts For Future Aircraft 1999
- Test Techniques for Small-Scale Research Aircraft AIAA 98-2726 1998
- Advanced Configurations for Very Large Transport Airplanes AIAA 98-0439 1998
- Small-Scale UAV’s for Flight Research 1998
- Aeroelastic Design and Control Gain Scheduling of the Blended Wing Using a Collocation Method AIAA 98-4831 1998
- UAV Aeroelastic Control Using Redundant Microactuators 1998
- Concurrent Wing Design and Flight Path Optimization Using Optimizer-Based Decomposition AIAA 98-4920 1998
- The Challenge and Promise of Blended Wing Body Optimization AIAA 98-4736 1998
- Response Surface Estimation and Refinement in Collaborative Optimization AIAA 98-4753 1998
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Collaborative approach to launch vehicle design
AIAA/USAF/NASA/ISSMO 6th Symposium on Multidisciplinary Analysis and Optimization
AMER INST AERONAUT ASTRONAUT. 1997: 478–86
View details for Web of Science ID A1997XP92900010
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Induced drag computations on wings with accurately modeled wakes
JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT
1997; 34 (2): 253-255
View details for Web of Science ID A1997WQ86200016
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MDO for large-scale design
ICASE/NASA Langley Workshop on Multidisciplinary Design Optimization
SIAM. 1997: 22–44
View details for Web of Science ID A1997BH44D00002
- Induced Drag Computations on Wings with Accurately-Modeled Wakes AIAA Journal of Aircraft 1997; 34 (2): 253-255
- Multidisciplinary optimization applications in preliminary design - Status and directions 1997
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A genetic algorithm for scheduling and decomposition of multidisciplinary design problems
JOURNAL OF MECHANICAL DESIGN
1996; 118 (4): 486-489
View details for Web of Science ID A1996WA87000006
- Decomposition and Collaborative Optimization for Large Scale Aerospace Design In Multidisciplinary Design Optimization: State of the Art edited by Alexandrov, N., Hussaini, M., Y. SIAM. 1996: 1
- Aerodynamic and structural analysis and optimization for conceptual design of supersonic transports 1996
- Development and Application of the Collaborative Optimization Architecture in a Multidisciplinary Design Environment In Multidisciplinary Design Optimization: State of the Art edited by Alexandrov, N., Hussaini, M., Y. SIAM. 1996: 1
- Using Collocation Methods for Aeroelastic Optimization 1996
- Using Automatic Differentiation with the Quasi-Procedrual Method for Multidisciplinary Design Optimization 1996
- Structural Optimization for Joined Wing Synthesis Journal of Aircraft 1996; 33 (1): 214-223
- A Collocation Method for Aeroelastic Optimization 1996
- Use of the Collaborative Optimization Architecture for Launch Vehicle Design 1996
- Implementation and Performance Issues in Collaborative Optimization 1996
- Highly Nonplanar Lifting Systems a hypertext version of a paper presented at the Transportation Beyond 2000 workshop at NASA Langley Research Center NASA CP. 1996: 331–370
- Aircraft Design Using Collaborative Optimization 1996
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VARIABLE-COMPLEXITY GENETIC ALGORITHM FOR TOPOLOGICAL DESIGN
AIAA JOURNAL
1995; 33 (11): 2212-2217
View details for Web of Science ID A1995TD72900031
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SUBSONIC WING PLANFORM DESIGN USING MULTIDISCIPLINARY OPTIMIZATION
JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT
1995; 32 (4): 746-753
View details for Web of Science ID A1995RP01200009
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COMPARISON OF 2 MULTIDISCIPLINARY OPTIMIZATION STRATEGIES FOR LAUNCH-VEHICLE DESIGN
JOURNAL OF SPACECRAFT AND ROCKETS
1995; 32 (3): 404-410
View details for Web of Science ID A1995RC46000004
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INTERPLANETARY TRAJECTORY OPTIMIZATION USING A GENETIC ALGORITHM
JOURNAL OF THE ASTRONAUTICAL SCIENCES
1995; 43 (1): 59-75
View details for Web of Science ID A1995RP56800004
- Comparison of Two Multidisciplinary Optimization Strategies for Launch Vehicle Design Journal of Spacecraft & Rockets 1995; 32 (3): 404-410
- Use of the Collaborative Optimization Architecture in a Multidisciplinary Design Environment 1995
- A Collaborative Approach to Trajectory Optimization 1995
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Representation issues for design topological optimization by genetic methods
8th International Conference on Industrial and Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Expert Systems (IEA/AIE-95)
GORDON AND BREACH SCIENCE PUBL. 1995: 383–388
View details for Web of Science ID A1995BF46C00046
- Multidisciplinary Optimization Methods for Aircraft Preliminary Design 1994
- Multidisciplinary Optimization for Aircraft Preliminary Design AIAA 94-4325 1994
- Multidisciplinary Optimization Strategies for Launch Vehicle Design 1994
- Interplanetary Trajectory Optimization Using a Genetic Algorithm 1994
- Post-Optimality Analysis in Aircraft Design 1993
- A Role for Genetic Algorithms in a Preliminary Design Environment 1993
- An Interactive System for Aircraft Design and Optimization AIAA Paper #92-1190 1992
- Development of the Quasi-Procedural Method for Use in Aircraft Configuration Optimization 1992
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AERODYNAMIC AND STRUCTURAL STUDIES OF JOINED-WING AIRCRAFT
JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT
1991; 28 (1): 74-81
View details for Web of Science ID A1991FH22700008
- Development of the SWIFT Hang Gliding 1991
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AIRCRAFT DESIGN OPTIMIZATION WITH DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE CONSTRAINTS
JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT
1990; 27 (12): 1060-1067
View details for Web of Science ID A1990FG08400012
- A Quasi-Procedural, Knowledge Based System for Aircraft Synthesis 1988
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PROPELLER-WING INTEGRATION FOR MINIMUM INDUCED LOSS
JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT
1986; 23 (7): 561-565
View details for Web of Science ID A1986C949100004
- Design and Analysis of Optimally-Loaded Lifting Systems an updated version of "A General Approach to Multiple Lifting Surface Analysis and Design," AIAA 84-2507 1984
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A FUNDAMENTAL COMPARISON OF CANARD AND CONVENTIONAL CONFIGURATIONS
JOURNAL OF AIRCRAFT
1983; 20 (11): 983-992
View details for Web of Science ID A1983RQ63000015
- Oblique Wing Bibliography
- A Quasi-Procedural Method for Aircraft Design AIAA 88-6502