From atom to airplane
Gemma Church learns that aerospace
simulation is focused on fine-grain simulations to optimise component performance and meet strict regulatory requirements
T
he aerospace industry is oſten associated with large scale simulations of an entire aircraſt or complex parts. As the industry strives for ever-
improving performance, it is now optimising at every level – including the components that make up such massive structures. Such large-scale models of an entire
aerospace system are traditionally developed at the onset of the system design process, as Richard Yen, senior vice president for global markets at Altair, explained: ‘Tese models are focused on simulating the overall system response to all of the intended or expected operating conditions. As these models are refined and developed, aerospace companies have very robust and tested methods to transfer the loads from the system model to an individual component where a much more detailed analysis can be performed.’ Tere is a high demand for such simulation
and modelling of components as the aerospace industry strives to offer continued, improved performance across a range of factors including weight reduction, power management and drag. Rob Harwood, global industry director at ANSYS, explained: ‘Te margins for performance increase at all levels in the supply chain are so marginal today that the easy improvements are long gone.’
26 SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING WORLD
Using a local installation of COMSOL Server product, design teams can give colleagues and customers worldwide access to their simulation apps through a web browser
@scwmagazine l
www.scientific-computing.com ‘Finding the sources of additional
improvement is very, very difficult and simulation is a key technique to rapidly and cost-effectively explore new ideas – even what might appear as simple components such as the bracket on a seat are now being optimised topologically for additive manufacturing, so that they can further reduce weight,’ Harwood added. Te huge variety of parts to simulate and
model in the aerospace industry cannot be overstated. Structural components are probably the most commonly analysed parts using simulation to build on a validation stack from the material coupon, to the component, to the sub-component, to the system. Tis can be for basic strength, vibration and fatigue-type studies. Tere are also a lot of structural components in a
typical aerospace system, so both local and global simulations are used. Harwood said: ‘Any component that
affects the exterior profile of the aircraſt at any phase of flight will likely be subject to aerodynamic analysis to determine its overall impact on the drag and liſt of the aircraſt and,
Comsol Inc
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