High-speed impact assessment for composite air inlet

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the approach for the design of a jet engine composite air inlet for a new generation of jet trainer aircraft from the perspective of airworthiness requirements regarding high-speed impact resistance.

Design/methodology/approach

Validated numerical simulation was applied to flat test panels. The final design was optimised and verified by validated numerical simulation and verified by testing on a full-scale demonstrator. High-speed camera measurement and non-destructive testing (NDT) results were used for the verification of the numerical models.

Findings

The test results of flat test panels confirmed the high durability of the composite structure during inclined high-speed impact with a near-real jet inlet load boundary condition.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the sensitivity of the composite material on technology production, the results are limited by the material used and the production technology.

Practical implications

The application of flat test panels for the verification and tuning of numerical models allows optimised final design of the air inlet and reduces the risk of structural non-compliance during verification tests.

Originality/value

Numerical models were verified for simulation of the real composite structure based on high-speed camera results and NDT inspection after impact. The proposed numerical model was simplified for application in a real complex design and reduced calculation time.

Citation

Doubrava, R., Oberthor, M., Bělský, P. and Raška, J. (2020), "High-speed impact assessment for composite air inlet", International Journal of Structural Integrity, Vol. 11 No. 5, pp. 723-736. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSI-10-2018-0059