Including Imperfections within the Displacement-based Koiter Methodology

The Koiter methodology is a reduced-order model that can predict the initial post-buckling characteristics of structures. Incorporating the Koiter approach within finite element simulations resulted in challenges. These included mesh sensitive initial post-buckling coefficients, computationally expensive high-order derivatives, and phenomena...

Design Methodology and Optimization of Kick Stage Main Structures

Global optimization using a deflation-based method for the design of composite structures

Composite structures are rapidly transforming the aerospace industry, driven by continuous advancements in manufacturing methods capable of producing optimized structures with variable stiffness that enables the creation of increasingly complex and efficient structures. This project focuses on the development of a global optimization method that...

Flying-V Crashworthiness: a Preliminary Assessment

High-Fidelity Structural Sizing Method for Weight Estimation of a Flying-V

The Flying-V is an unconventional aircraft concept showing promising initial results in overall efficiency, outperforming the conventional tube-and-wing aircraft. To prove this gain in efficiency, optimized concepts are desired early in the development process. This requires flexible design tools that explore and optimize the design space. For...

A design methodology for unconventional engine mounting structures applied to the Flying-V

The Flying-V is invented as a sustainable innovation for the aviation industry, promising 20% more fuel efficiency than its benchmark, the Airbus A350. There are many challenges to be addressed to bring the Flying-V to a more developed stage, one of them is the design of the structure that supports both the engine and the landing gear, which...

Digital Image Correlation For Fatigue Life Characterization Of Ultrasonically Welded Lap Shear Joints

One of the emerging welding techniques for thermoplastic composites is ultrasonic welding. Ultrasonic spot welding has the potential to be composite counterpart of the widely used, highly automatized spot welding technique used to join metals. State of the art research on ultrasonic welding is focusing on the welding process itself in search of...

Shape Sensing and Load Reconstruction for Static and Dynamic Applications

The reconstruction of the elastic deformed shape of a structure from strain measurements is a field which has received considerable attention over the years. This work aims to suggest some improvements for wing-like structures trying to limit as much as possible the amount of strain measurements needed. In particular, a simple beam model is...

Proposal and Validation of an Immersed Interface Method applied to the Lattice-Boltzmann Method

The Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is an appealing framework to apply to unsteady, incompressible, low Reynolds number flow due to its simplicity and potential for massive parallelisation. The immersed boundary method is often used in conjunction with the LBM to simulate flow around curved, moving boundaries in the interior of the fluid domain....

Dynamic continuous fiber optical strain sensing for damage diagnosis on beam-like composite structures: An experimental and numerical study

The objective of this master project is to improve the current SHM techniques for global damage identification of beam-like composite structures. The studied damage diagnosis method is based on structural vibrations from which the modal parameters are obtained. The literature study provides an overview of the most common vibration-based damage...

A structural sizing methodology for the wing-fuselage of the Flying-V

The demand for sustainability in aviation is at a historical peak. Efforts from industry and institutions have made the conventional tube-and-wing aircraft greatly efficient, to the degree that a performance ceiling is being approached. Unconventional aircraft configurations promise to reduce fuel burn further, at the cost of design complexity...

Bayesian Optimization for Lightweight Design of Variable Stiffness Composite Cylinder

The advancement in the steering capabilities of fibre placement machines has improved the tailoring potential and therefore the design possibilities for composite structures. However, the larger design freedom leads to complex and non-convex design spaces. Finding the optimum solution thus becomes costly and challenging, specifically considering...

Validation of Breathing Modes in Wind Turbine Blade Finite Element Models

Wind energy is a growing industry, and in an effort to reduce costs and increase turbine efficiency, rotor blades are becoming increasingly large in size. To facilitate this effort, the SmartBlades2 research project has designed, built, and tested a set of prototype research blades. As part of the SmartBlades2 project, high sensor density modal...