Bird impact at aircraft structure-Damage analysis using Coupled Euler Lagrangian Approach

Abstract

Numerical bird strike damage prediction procedure has been applied on the very detailed large airplane secondary structure consisting of sandwich, composite and metallic structural items. The impacted inboard flap finite element model is modelled using 3D, shell and continuum shell elements, coupled with appropriate kinematic constraints. The bird has been modelled using Coupled Euler Lagrangian approach, in order to avoid the numerical difficulties connected with mesh distortion. Various failure modes, such as Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) face layer rupture, failure of composite matrix, damage initiation / evolution in the sandwich structure Nomex core and elastoplastic failure of a metallic structure have been investigated. Besides, general contact has been applied as to efficiently capture the contact between Eulerian bird material and the structure, as well as large deformations of the different structural components. Compared to the classic Lagrangian modelling of the bird, the analysis has proven to be more stable, and the results, such as damage areas, physically more realistic. The impact has been applied in the area that is the most probably subjected to the impact damage during exploitation.