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NASA NTRS1991

Damaged stiffened shell research at NASA. Langley Research Center

The structural behavior of stiffened fuselage shells with local cracks is influenced by the local deformations and stress gradients near the cracks, and this behavior must be understood to predict fuselage structural integrity and residual strength. As a crack grows, the stiffness and internal load distributions in a stiffened shell change, affecting the local deformations and stress gradients near the crack. Transport fuselage shells are designed to support internal pressure and mechanical loads which cause a geometrically nonlinear response. Research is being conducted at NASA LaRC to develop and demonstrate a verified nonlinear stiffened shell analysis methodology for accurately predicting the global and local behavior of nonlinear stiffened fuselage shells with local cracks and with combined internal pressure and mechanical loads. The nonlinear structural analysis methodology being developed and planned at NASA LaRC for damaged stiffened fuselage shells and the experiments being planned to verify this analysis methodology are summarized in the present paper.

Aging Aircraft↗

NASA NTRS1981

Survey of long-term durability of fiberglass reinforced plastic structures

Included are fluid containment vessels, marine structures, and aircraft components with up to 19 years of service. Correlations were obtained for the variation of static fatigue strength, cyclic fatigue strength, and residual burst strength for pressure vessels. In addition, data are presented for the effects of moisture on strength retention. Data variations were analyzed, and relationships and implications for testing are discussed. Change in strength properties for complete structures was examined for indications of the effects of environmental conditions such as moisture and outdoor exposure (ultraviolet radiation, weathering) on long term durability.

Lieblein, S.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Nondestructive Characterization of Composite Materials

Increasingly, composite materials are applied to fracture-critical structures of aircraft and spacecraft...Ultrasonics offer the most capable inspection technology and recently developed techniques appear to improve this technology significantly... Recent progress in ultrasonic NDE of composites will be reviewed.

composites composite materials ultrasonics fractur↗

NASA NTRS1972

Application study of filamentary composites in a commercial jet aircraft fuselage

A study of applications of filamentary composite materials to aircraft fuselage structure was performed. General design criteria were established and material studies conducted using the 727-200 forebody as the primary structural component. Three design approaches to the use of composites were investigated: uniaxial reinforcement of metal structure, uniaxial and biaxial reinforcement of metal structure, and an all-composite design. Materials application studies for all three concepts were conducted on fuselage shell panels, keel beam, floor beams, floor panels, body frames, fail-safe straps, and window frames. Cost benefit studies were conducted and developmental program costs estimated. On the basis of weight savings, cost effectiveness, developmental program costs, and potential for early application on commercial aircraft, the unaxial design is recommended for a 5-year flight service evaluation program.

Johnson, R. W.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Engine isolation for structural-borne interior noise reduction in a general aviation aircraft

Engine vibration isolation for structural-borne interior noise reduction is investigated. A laboratory based test procedure to simulate engine induced structure-borne noise transmission, the testing of a range of candidate isolators for relative performance data, and the development of an analytical model of the transmission phenomena for isolator design evaluation are addressed. The isolator relative performance test data show that the elastomeric isolators do not appear to operate as single degree of freedom systems with respect to noise isolation. Noise isolation beyond 150 Hz levels off and begins to decrease somewhat above 600 Hz. Coupled analytical and empirical models were used to study the structure-borne noise transmission phenomena. Correlation of predicted results with measured data show that (1) the modeling procedures are reasonably accurate for isolator design evaluation, (2) the frequency dependent properties of the isolators must be included in the model if reasonably accurate noise prediction beyond 150 Hz is desired. The experimental and analytical studies were carried out in the frequency range from 10 Hz to 1000 Hz.

Unruh, J. F.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Ground vibration test results for Drones for Aerodynamic and Structural Testing (DAST)/Aeroelastic Research Wing (ARW-1R) aircraft

The drones for aerodynamic and structural testing (DAST) project was designed to control flutter actively at high subsonic speeds. Accurate knowledge of the structural model was critical for the successful design of the control system. A ground vibration test was conducted on the DAST vehicle to determine the structural model characteristics. This report presents and discusses the vibration and test equipment, the test setup and procedures, and the antisymmetric and symmetric mode shape results. The modal characteristics were subsequently used to update the structural model employed in the control law design process.

Cox, T. H.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Influence of an asymmetric ring on the modeling of an orthogonally stiffened cylindrical shell

Structural models are examined for the influence of a ring with an asymmetrical cross section on the linear elastic response of an orthogonally stiffened cylindrical shell subjected to internal pressure. The first structural model employs classical theory for the shell and stiffeners. The second model employs transverse shear deformation theories for the shell and stringer and classical theory for the ring. Closed-end pressure vessel effects are included. Interacting line load intensities are computed in the stiffener-to-skin joints for an example problem having the dimensions of the fuselage of a large transport aircraft. Classical structural theory is found to exaggerate the asymmetric response compared to the transverse shear deformation theory.

Rastogi, Naveen↗

NASA NTRS1981

Improved methods for fan sound field determination

Several methods for determining acoustic mode structure in aircraft turbofan engines using wall microphone data were studied. A method for reducing data was devised and implemented which makes the definition of discrete coherent sound fields measured in the presence of engine speed fluctuation more accurate. For the analytical methods, algorithms were developed to define the dominant circumferential modes from full and partial circumferential arrays of microphones. Axial arrays were explored to define mode structure as a function of cutoff ratio, and the use of data taken at several constant speeds was also evaluated in an attempt to reduce instrumentation requirements. Sensitivities of the various methods to microphone density, array size and measurement error were evaluated and results of these studies showed these new methods to be impractical. The data reduction method used to reduce the effects of engine speed variation consisted of an electronic circuit which windowed the data so that signal enhancement could occur only when the speed was within a narrow range.

Cicon, D. E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Aging commuter aeroplanes: Fatigue evaluation and control methods

The risks associated with old aeroplanes arise in the main from the difficulty of obtaining support from the manufacturer and other skilled people, and from a general loss of reliability caused by wear and other deterioration. The loss of reliability is caused by two broad classes of problem. There are those problems which are self evident, and hazardous rather than catastrophic. These are the problem areas where characteristically there have been multiple overhauls, repairs, and replacements, and where aging really means the results of repair ineffectiveness that accumulates. The other class of problem is the insidious and potentially catastrophic class. It includes the progressive deterioration of items which are not maintained, and often cannot be maintained because the deterioration cannot be seen. It includes loss of physical properties in adhesives and other organic compounds, corrosion, and the response to repeated loads. This paper deals with a currently unnecessarily troublesome aspect of that response. The present working definition of "commuter aeroplanes" encompasses a wide range of aging types, from the Fairchild F27, through deHavilland Canada Twin Otters to the smaller twin engined Piper and Cessna models. It includes such types as the Lockheed 10, the Beech 18, and the Grumman Mallard. Although we must remain concerned about those types which have been certificated under a design standard or operational rule which embodies the elementary fail-safe concept and which have not been subjected to a subsequent structural audit, this paper is directed, in the first instance, towards types for which fatigue and damage tolerance evaluation was not required as a condition of certification. It will be seen, however, that the principles are robust enough for more general application.

Aging Aircraft↗

NASA NTRS1976

A computer program incorporating fatigue and fracture criteria in the preliminary design of transport aircraft: An evaluation

The APAS program a multistation structural synthesis procedure developed to evaluate material, geometry, and configuration with various design criteria usually considered for the primary structure of transport aircraft is described and evaluated. Recommendations to improve accuracy and extend the capabilities of the APAS program are given. Flow diagrams are included.

Berger, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Fracture mechanics research at NASA related to the aging commercial transport fleet

NASA is conducting the Airframe Structural Integrity Program in support of the aging commercial transport fleet. This interdisciplinary program is being worked in cooperation with the U.S. airframe manufacturers, airline operators, and the FAA. Advanced analysis methods are under development and an extensive testing program is underway to study fatigue crack growth and fracture in complex built-up shell structures. Innovative nondestructive examination technologies are also being developed to provide large area inspection capability to detect corrosion, disbonds, and cracks. This paper reviews recent fracture mechanics results applicable to predicting the growth of cracks under monotonic and cyclic loading at rivets in fuselage lap-splice joints.

Aging Aircraft↗

NASA NTRS1991

Structural integrity of future aging airplanes

A multitude of design considerations is involved in ensuring the structural integrity of Boeing jet transports that have common design concepts validated by extensive analyses, tests, and three decades of service. As airplanes approach their design service objectives, the incidences of fatigue and corrosion may become widespread. Continuing airworthiness of the aging jet fleet requires diligent performance from the manufacturer, the airlines, and airworthiness authorities. Aging fleet support includes timely development of supplemental structural inspection documents applicable to selected older airplanes, teardown inspections of high-time airframes retired from service, fatigue testing of older airframes, and structural surveys of more than 130 airplanes operated throughout the world. Lessons learned from these activities are incorporated in service bulletin recommendations, production line modifications, and design manual updates. An overview of traditional Boeing fleet support activities and the anticipated benefits for future generations of commercial airplanes based on the continuous design improvement process are presented.

Aging Aircraft↗

NASA NTRS2003

Imparting Desired Attributes by Optimization in Structural Design

Commonly available optimization methods typically produce a single optimal design as a Constrained minimum of a particular objective function. However, in engineering design practice it is quite often important to explore as much of the design space as possible with respect to many attributes to find out what behaviors are possible and not possible within the initially adopted design concept. The paper shows that the very simple method of the sum of objectives is useful for such exploration. By geometrical argument it is demonstrated that if every weighting coefficient is allowed to change its magnitude and its sign then the method returns a set of designs that are all feasible, diverse in their attributes, and include the Pareto and non-Pareto solutions, at least for convex cases. Numerical examples in the paper include a case of an aircraft wing structural box with thousands of degrees of freedom and constraints, and over 100 design variables, whose attributes are structural mass, volume, displacement, and frequency. The method is inherently suitable for parallel, coarse-grained implementation that enables exploration of the design space in the elapsed time of a single structural optimization.

Sobieszczanski-Sobieski, Jaroslaw↗

NASA NTRS1993

The Bunny: A simulated commercial air transportation study

The Bunny is a single-engine, 100 passenger commercial transport designed to serve the high density short-to-medium range markets in AEROWORLD. The aircraft's design range is 10,000 feet at a cruise velocity of 30 ft/s. The aircraft features a low wing which incorporates polyhedral for roll control. Yaw and pitch control are accomplished by a rudder and elevator, respectively. Propulsion is provided by a nose-mounted Astro 15 electric motor powered by thirteen 1.2 V, 1000 mah batteries with a Zinger 12-6 propeller. The aircraft is structurally designed with a safety factor of 1.5 and is constructed primarily of balsa, bass, and birch wood. Passenger seating is arranged on two levels, with three-abreast on the lower level and two-abreast on the upper level. The factors which had the most significant influence on the final design were the direct operating cost and the take-off distance. The primary strength of The Bunny is its ability to compete economically with the HB-40. At full capacity and mid-range fuel costs, the cost per seat per thousand feet (CPSK) of this aircraft is 25% less than the HB-40. Another principal strength is its ability to operate in all airports in AEROWORLD. Also, The Bunny's two-piece removable wing is an advantage from a transportability standpoint.

Fulton, David↗

NASA NTRS1981

Operational evaluation of thunderstorm penetration test flights during project Storm Hazards '80

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is conducting a research project called Storm Hazards '80 in order to study the prediction, detectability and avoidance of the hazards of severe storms for aircraft operations. The project, using a highly instrumented NASA F-106B airplane to penetrate thunderstorms, gathered and correlated data from both airborne and ground based instrumentation. The objectives of this project are to determine the effects of lightning on the design and operation of aircraft composite structures and digital electronic systems. The data will be used to determine the correlation of lightning hazards with other severe storm hazards, such as heavy precipitation, hail, turbulence and wind-shear, in order to develop an initial data base for use in design and avoidance. The NASA F-106B was equipped with a weather radar, stormscope, lightning measurement instrumentation and air sampling equipment. This paper will focus on the operational aspects of thunderstorm penetrations and the pilot techniques used to avoid the extremely hazardous portions of the storm such as the tornadoes and hail. It will deal with the effects of the storm elements on the aircraft hardware, avionics and the crew.

Keyser, G. L., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Buckling behavior and structural efficiency of open-section stiffened composite compression panels

Several experiments with J- and blade-stiffened graphite/epoxy panels were conducted to obtain insight into how well experimental data could be correlated with analysis for the buckling behavior of open-section stiffened composite compression panels. Although some nonlinear behavior was observed during the experiments, adequate correlation with analysis was obtained to justify the use of linear, thin-plate buckling analysis in a minimum-weight design synthesis program for J- and blade-configurations. Results from two design studies using this program are presented. In the first study the minimum weights of Jand blade-configurations for two different material systems (graphite/epoxy and aluminum) are determined subject to buckling and strength constraints for a wide range of the compressive load index. In the second study the minimum weights required for graphite/epoxy blade-stiffened panels to satisfy additional stiffness constraints typical of medium-size commercial aircraft wing structures are determined. Both minimum-weight studies indicate that graphite/epoxy open-section stiffened panels can be designed so that weight savings of 30 to 50% are possible compared with the most efficient aluminum designs.

Williams, J. G.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Current DOT research on the effect of multiple site damage on structural integrity

Multiple site damage (MSD) is a type of cracking that may be found in aging airplanes and which may adversely affect their continuing airworthiness. The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center has supported the Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center on structural integrity research for the past two and half years. The work has focused on understanding the behavior of MSD, detection of MSD during airframe inspection, and the avoidance of MSD in future designs. These three elements of the MSD problem are addressed and a summary of the completed work, the current status, and requirements for future research.

Aging Aircraft↗

NASA NTRS1999

Delamination Modeling of Composites for Improved Crash Analysis

Finite element crash modeling of composite structures is limited by the inability of current commercial crash codes to accurately model delamination growth. Efforts are made to implement and assess delamination modeling techniques using a current finite element crash code, MSC/DYTRAN. Three methods are evaluated, including a straightforward method based on monitoring forces in elements or constraints representing an interface; a cohesive fracture model proposed in the literature; and the virtual crack closure technique commonly used in fracture mechanics. Results are compared with dynamic double cantilever beam test data from the literature. Examples show that it is possible to accurately model delamination propagation in this case. However, the computational demands required for accurate solution are great and reliable property data may not be available to support general crash modeling efforts. Additional examples are modeled including an impact-loaded beam, damage initiation in laminated crushing specimens, and a scaled aircraft subfloor structures in which composite sandwich structures are used as energy-absorbing elements. These examples illustrate some of the difficulties in modeling delamination as part of a finite element crash analysis.

Fleming, David C.↗