Credit: DLR (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).
Simulation with a five-frame fuselage section: Evaluation of an aircraft fuselage crash concept made of carbon fibre composites and including a filigree sub-cargo structure.
Generation of parametric fuselage models in the Python based development environment PANDORA - Parametric Numerical Design and Optimization Routines for Aircraft (DLR tool). PANDORA offers modules for data management (CPACS format), model generation, structural sizing and a graphical user interface.
High-speed impact test with the 3.6 kg DLR artificial bird at 185 m/s in the gas gun laboratory of the Institute of Structures and Design to demonstrate the splitter principle of a nose structure
The Structural Integrity department works on the development and numerical simulation of multifunctional lightweight structures made of metallic, composite or hybrid materials. This includes material and structure tests as well as numerical analyses from sample level up to full-scale structures.
Our research work focuses on the short-time dynamic load cases like crash, ditching and high-speed impact of various impactors like birds, FODs, hail, tyre pieces, drones, etc. The areas of application are aviation (aircraft, helicopters, air-taxis), road and rail transport systems. The main objective of new design developments is the improvement of energy absorption capacity and thus operation safety without noticeably impairing the load-bearing capacity and increasing weight.
Furthermore, the department develops numerical process chains for automatic modelling and calculation of structures for integration into multidisciplinary analysis and optimisation chains.
Competencies: