Structural validation of FEM simulations on a safety-critical CFRP aircraft component

Sie sind hier: Homepage > Suche

Structural validation of FEM simulations on a safety-critical CFRP aircraft component

Verhuizen, A. / Janssens, S.

A recent evolution in aviation material usage shows a clear shift from designs based on titanium and aluminum alloys towards composite materials. ASCO has recently completed a research project in gaining know-how on composites technology in order to maintain an engineering excellence position and secure a fast reaction time in case of changed technology interest. To reach this aim, a research project on the redesign of aluminum Hinge Arm was chosen. The Hinge Arm is a highly loaded structural component of the A380 leading edge device. The project captures the complete design cycle from coupon testing for data generation up to full scale testing and NDT (nondestructive testing) inspection. In total, 8 parts were produced first-time right, using the RTM technique. This paper focuses on the test campaign and NDT tools used to validate the design predictions. Three load cases have been selected for full scale testing. During these tests, acoustic emission was used to asses first ply failure, Digital Image Correlation Techniques were used to map strains, A-and C-scans were performed to check for damage and compared to IR-thermography plots. Dye-penetrant inspection radiography was used to check for damage at subcomponent level.