Multiphysics FEA at Aircraft Research Association
ARA (Aircraft Research Association) was formed in 1952 by the UK’s leading aerospace companies to create a state-of-the-art transonic wind tunnel that would maintain a dominant position within aerospace research and development.
Abaqus Unified FEA suite provided most of the analysis and simulations tools required to support ARA’s products design cycle and demanding design requirements. Besides, we found that Abaqus Unified FEA open interface is readily adaptable to our in-house analysis codes.
Zdenko Uvalic, Senior Structural Engineer, ARA
About Aircraft Research Association (ARA)
Over time, ARA’s brief has widened, and expertise has broadened to include most of the world’s major aerospace companies as customers and a developing services’ portfolio. With the addition of Dassault Systèmes SIMULIA Abaqus, ARA underlines its commitment to maintaining its position at the forefront of the UK aerospace industry’s research and development capabilities.
Implementation of multi-physics and cross-disciplinary FEA codes
ARA is a world leader in transonic wind tunnel testing. Its customer-oriented business model enables it to deliver products and services to customers’ satisfaction. ARA recognizes that its extremely complex design solutions need multi-physics and cross-disciplinary FEA codes to improve the fidelity of predicted structural performance and analytical simulations. ARA has assessed and evaluated all mainstream FEA software.
The IMPACTA (Improving the Propulsion Aerodynamics and Acoustics of Turboprop Aircraft) project
The principal aim of IMPACTA was to study propeller-airframe interaction effects using a combination of numerical simulation and scaled-model wind-tunnel testing. The aircraft under consideration is representative of current high-wing mounted turboprop regional aircraft of around 70–90 seats. A prime focus of the IMPACTA project is to study the aerodynamic interference effects due to the installation of a turboprop propulsion system on a regional aircraft.
As part of the IMPACTA program, ARA designed a wind tunnel test rig comprising a long and slender drive shaft to transmit torque from the electric motor to a propeller subassembly. The challenge was to design a shaft having critical speed outside the test operating regime and yet have satisfactory structural strength to transmit the torque. ARA’s structural analysts effectively used the Abaqus rotor dynamics procedure and scripts available on the SIMULIA Knowledge Base to analyze the structural dynamics of the shaft, generate Campbell interference diagrams, and predict whirl modes.
The analysis assisted engineers in critical decision-making regarding the stiffness of bearings and material selection, as well as the position of the shaft supports.
ARA compared its Abaqus analysis output with the rotor shaft analysis results performed by an eminent customer who is regarded as an ultimate leader in the aeropropeller industry. The analysis results correlated well with the analysis performed by the customer using their own in-house specific rotor shaft analysis-dedicated code.
Supplier Selection
“TECHNIA was tremendously flexible, patient and tolerant in accommodating ARA’s stringent business and procurement requirements. In addition, TECHNIA provided a courtesy Abaqus awareness course to assist ARA in the FEA selection process“,
Zdenko Uvalic, Senior Structural Engineer, ARA
Once the selection decision was made, TECHNIA promptly delivered an off-site training course for Abaqus users, (free of charge).
Summary
ARA is a vibrant, exciting, and research-oriented establishment. Its growing customer base is a testimony to the quality of services and support they provide to their customers, partners, and subcontractors. As a direct result, ARA test facilities are booked many months in advance. ARA is planning to expand its dynamic analysis capability and dynamic test data acquisition methods. In addition, it will be developing its current aero-elasticity analysis and test facilities by performing co-simulations linking Abaqus and Tau (CFD code developed by DLR).
“We’ll certainly continue to use TECHNIA reputable expertise to train and provide technical support to our designers and structural analysts. We also purchase additional CATIA licenses on ad-hoc bases from TECHNIA when our workload demands increase.“
Zdenko Uvalic, Senior Structural Engineer, ARA
