Geometric Imperfection Sensitivity of Curved Panels Under Combined Compression and In-Plane Bending - A Study Using Adaptive Meshing and DIC

The existence of geometric imperfections, either resulting from the use of manufacturing tolerances or because of damage in situ is known to have a detrimental effect on the buckling and post-buckling behaviour of thin-walled structures, which depending upon factors such as geometry and loading, can be significant. This paper presents an automated technique, based on the use of topography data obtained from optical measurement, for creating finite meshes representative of the geometry of real structures, which can be analysed to obtain accurate predictions of unstable behaviour. The technique incorporates an algorithm to allow mesh density to be varied across the specimen according to level of curvature thus ensuring the meshes generated are not only accurate but also computationally efficient by reducing the number of degrees of freedom where appropriate. The results of applying this technique to a series of curved panels subject to combined shear and in-plane bending (an example of a component of an aero engine blade) are reported

NSC29557

Aerospace Engineerin

Future priorities for a climate-friendly transport: A European strategic research agenda toward 2030

Research is a key factor for a successful reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport. This article summarizes the main results of REACT, a project cofinanced by the European Commission, which aimed to develop a European Strategic Research Agenda for low GHG transport. A literature review and a multistage expert consultation process were used to map technological and nontechnological research areas and evaluate them according to different criteria (i.e., GHG emissions reduction, cost-efficiency, feasibility, time frame of research stages). We consulted the research agendas of the European Technologies Platforms on transport and current EU research programs. Expert opinions were collected through web forms, interviews, and participation in structured workshops. The REACT Research Agenda identified the following research priorities for a more climate-friendly transport system by 2030: (a) in the short term, cost-effective solutions consist of (1) more efficient, lighter vehicles with advanced internal combustion engines, (2) reducing road transport demand and (3) fostering GHG emission legislation; (b) in the medium/long term, the focus shifts toward (1) electric vehicles and hydrogen, (2) Intelligent Transport Systems, and (3) spatial planning and economic and social measures to reduce transport demand. In addition, one of the main findings identified strong links between technology research and planning, social sciences, and economy

Optimal, Environmentally Friendly Departure Procedures for Civil Aircraft

International audienceIn the current aviation context, one of the major concerns of commercial aviation stakeholders is to improve the environmental footprint of aviation. This research, integrated into the European Clean Sky project, addresses the optimization of commercial aircraft departure procedures in order to minimize their environmental footprint. The environmental impact is defined by noise nuisance in the protected zones near airports, local air quality, and global warming. A recent, innovating method is proposed to solve the problem of a real-world aircraft departing from an ideal airport. A multiobjective, constrained, nonlinear optimization problem is formulated to obtain optimal departure procedures. The promising results obtained by the application of this methodology to a theoretical but representative scenario strongly encourage research activities in this direction

Knowledge maturity as a means to support decision making during product-service systems development projects in the aerospace sector

Streamlining new product development forces companies to make decisions on preliminary information. This paper considers this challenge within the context of project management in the aerospace sector, and in particular the development of product-service systems.  The concept of knowledge maturity is explored as a means to provide practical decision support, which increases decision makers' awareness of the knowledge base and supports cross-boundary discussions on the perceived maturity of available knowledge, thereby identifying and mitigating limitations. Requirements are elicited from previous research on knowledge maturity in the aerospace industry and a knowledge maturity model is developed through five industry-based workshops