Capability statement: Advanced composite materials - Atkins

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Advanced composite materials. Leading composites experience, covering design and stress analysis. Our experience. • NH-90 sliding door and landing gear ...
Advanced composite materials Leading composites experience, covering design and stress analysis The use of composite materials for primary aircraft structures is increasing. This requires development of the analysis methods that underpin the understanding and use of these materials. Improved methods also result in reduced aircraft life-cycle costs and development times. Atkins has extensive experience in the development and application of policies, procedures, methods and tools for the analysis of stress in aircraft composite structural components. Atkins has delivered bespoke solutions to specific aircraft programs as well as more generic methods development. Our team of engineers has also assisted in the specification for, and support to, materials testing.

Our experience • NH-90 sliding door and landing gear sponson. • Composite light opening doors for the Joint Strike Fighter. • Composite spar tool development. • Panel buckling under out-of-plane loading. • Crack growth in composite stiffened panels. • Damage tolerance under edge impact loading. • Composite wing cover panel manhole analysis. • Composite wing cover panel structural optimization.

Atkins has extensive experience in the development and application of composites methods and tools.

Our experience at a glance Gas turbine composite applications

Evaluation of composite wings pre-prototypes

Atkins engineers worked with a major client supporting the design and analysis of composite components for future military gas turbines.

The objective of the ALCAS project (Advanced Low Cost Aircraft Structures) is to reduce the operating costs of aerospace products by 15% through the effective application of carbon fiber composites to aircraft primary structures. Within the project, Atkins has been involved in conceptual and detail design and analysis of both business jet and airliner wing technology demonstrators, including test definition and support.

Using finite element analysis techniques, Atkins engineers assessed major structural components and low pressure compressor stator vanes. Analyses included the global analyses of complete structures using Nastran shell and beam models, and detailed 3D sub-models of specific features using ABAQUS. Client specific FE code was also used to assess certain components. The analyses also considered experimental rig test conditions and engine operating conditions. This allowed the mechanical integrity of components to be assessed and design modifications were recommended. Assessments for both static and dynamic (normal modes) conditions were completed.

Atkins adopted innovative design and analysis techniques to develop a sub-scale wing box top skin manufactured from thermoplastic material. The design was tailored to a tape laying manufacturing process that minimizes lay-up time for this large, single-piece aircraft sub-structure. Similar innovation was deployed in the development of a single-piece rear spar structure for the business jet horizontal tail plane. This single shot resin transfer molded component incorporated integral stiffeners, hinge fittings and loose lightning strike protection features, greatly reducing assembly times and costs. The composite airliner wing demonstrator included an upper cover root joint structure comprising metallic internal and external crown fittings. These components were required to exhibit no plasticity up to ultimate load so as not to compromise subsequent phases of the test program. Atkins achieved this novel requirement through the adoption of new and precise analysis methodologies.

Atkins’ experience includes composite wing cover and super stringer.

[email protected] www.atkinsglobal.com/aerospace