Periodic Reporting for period 2 - MORPHO (Embedded Life-Cycle Management for Smart Multimaterials Structures: Application to Engine Components)
Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2024-03-31
The European aircraft industry aims to achieve competitive and sustainable products with high quality standards. Manufacturers are also demanding for a radical change in the efficiency, profitability and flexibility of industrial processes in order to adapt to high production rates and ever-increasing product complexity and variability. In the framework of the transition to an industry 4.0 the deployment of connected objects is transforming the manufacturing and maintenance processes enabling tighter integration of the value chain. Therefore, adding native connectivity to the various parts of an aircraft, will be a key technology to speed up this transformation. This goes through embedding sensor technology into airframes, providing them with cognitive capabilities to improve manufacturing process and operational availability without compromising safety. MORPHO is the joint effort of European experts in smart manufacturing, sensor integration, structural health monitoring and recycling of aerospace structural parts and SAFRAN, a major OEM to face this tremendous challenge
Modern and future fan blades are designed and manufactured using a hybrid metal and advanced composite configuration. Indeed, for the LEAP engine, the core body of the fan blades is built up of 3D-woven composite manufactured using RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) process, while the leading edge is made up of titanium. This new design allows for a mass gain and exhibit high strength and fracture toughness, yet they remain vulnerable to foreign object impact and delamination damages.
MORPHO’s goal is to promote industrially the deployment of smart engine fan blades by adopting a cognitive paradigm for their manufacturing, health monitoring during service-life, and recycling. MORPHO objective is to advance the design, production, and field operation of multifunctional fan blades, with an emphasis on efficient, profitable, and environmental-friendly manufacturing, maintenance, and recycling. Indeed, during the life cycle of equipment (LCM), particular importance is given to: (i) the control of its manufacturing process, (ii) its operational availability, (iii) its maintenance (iv) the recycling of the components that constitute it.
In order to master the LCM of the fan module, which is the primary interface of the engine and the environment, we propose to embed sensors inside/on each blade and develop dedicated digital/hybrid twins to provide aircraft engines blades with cognitive capabilities. These will allow to manage and assess their entire life cycle.
Modern and future fan blades are designed and manufactured using a hybrid metal and advanced composite configuration. Indeed, for the LEAP engine, the core body of the fan blades is built up of 3D-woven composite manufactured using RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) process, while the leading edge is made up of titanium. This new design allows for a mass gain and exhibit high strength and fracture toughness, yet they remain vulnerable to foreign object impact and delamination damages.
MORPHO’s goal is to promote industrially the deployment of smart engine fan blades by adopting a cognitive paradigm for their manufacturing, health monitoring during service-life, and recycling. MORPHO objective is to advance the design, production, and field operation of multifunctional fan blades, with an emphasis on efficient, profitable, and environmental-friendly manufacturing, maintenance, and recycling. Indeed, during the life cycle of equipment (LCM), particular importance is given to: (i) the control of its manufacturing process, (ii) its operational availability, (iii) its maintenance (iv) the recycling of the components that constitute it.
In order to master the LCM of the fan module, which is the primary interface of the engine and the environment, we propose to embed sensors inside/on each blade and develop dedicated digital/hybrid twins to provide aircraft engines blades with cognitive capabilities. These will allow to manage and assess their entire life cycle.
The main results achieved so far are listed below:
- Providing the first specifications and requirements related to the life cycle monitoring and assessment of 3-D woven composite/titanium demonstrator named FOD (Foreign Object Damage) panel. These requirements concern process monitoring, sensing integration, structural health monitoring and prognostic, dissembling/recycling, digital/hybrid models and material characterization
- The optical fibers (OF-FBG) sensor integration concept has been developed with focus on the number and distances between sensors, and also the connecting process of integrated sensor arrays to the measurement unit.
Developing an ultra-fast resin arrival sensing system (the Cure Simulator) alone with sensors plugs installations and check at the FOD mould.
- Development of the "Simuline" sensor, that combine the advantages of the in-mould and the Cure Simulator i.e. the Simuline is fed by the resin that is injected into the mould and at the same time can follow the temperature, and as a result, the curing as if the sensor was in the cavity. This new sensor was tested successfully and is in the process of being patented.
- Elaborating a hybrid twin merging physics-based and data-driven models for the RTM manufacturing process of the smart structure. This hybrid twin allows real-time prediction of flow front position and global material parameters identification using only resin time arrival at sensors location. Thanks to first injections measurements, FE model of the RTM process has been updated and good correlation between experiments and simulations in terms of inlet pressure and filling time are obtained. Indeed, filling factor, filling time, flow front velocity, pressure, temperature and degree of cure are available everywhere in the manufactured part, including sensors locations.
- A specific data acquisition interface has been developed in MATLAB® to gather data from all sensors (FO, RA, flow rate, pressure and temperature). This interface, also connected to the hybrid twin, can predict, in real time, flow front position and local material properties.
- Developing a detailed Finite Element (FE) model allowing simulating the mechanical response of the realistic geometry of the FOD panel. The FE model encompasses failure criteria and considers the effect of the induced centrifugal forces and the bird strike case. Moreover, a draft regarding Piezoelectric (PZT) sensors positioning has been provided.
- Integrating printed sensors (PZT and temperature) on several panels have been achieved and their reliability is currently being tested.
- An experimental campaign has been lunched on the low-cycle fatigue tests of the sensorised structures, that will provide be used to feed novel data driven prognostics methodologies to predicts their Remaining Useful Life (RUL). This rare open database, will be shared with the scientific community.
- Conducting FE simulations and experiments of the shock laser-based disassembly process. The methodology for the debonding also proved useful for the propagation of the damage. Additionally, numerical models where improved to match the conducted experiments. The extended debonding simulation at the coupon level concluded that the process can be extended for extensive area debonding, while the resulting damage at the composite is confined to matrix cracking, while the fibers remain intact.
- After first tests on Lab-scale samples, semi industrial pyrolysis and post pyrolysis (oxidation) trials on rCF have then been performed through several campaigns. Part of the trials has been performed in an oven with controlled atmosphere (N2) and air inlet enabling to perform pyrolysis and oxidation in the same furnace. The optimized thermal treatment shows that recycled carbon fibers rCF can be obtained with acceptable properties close to virgin carbon fibers, with a 13% reduction of Tensile/ Young Modulus.
- Providing the first specifications and requirements related to the life cycle monitoring and assessment of 3-D woven composite/titanium demonstrator named FOD (Foreign Object Damage) panel. These requirements concern process monitoring, sensing integration, structural health monitoring and prognostic, dissembling/recycling, digital/hybrid models and material characterization
- The optical fibers (OF-FBG) sensor integration concept has been developed with focus on the number and distances between sensors, and also the connecting process of integrated sensor arrays to the measurement unit.
Developing an ultra-fast resin arrival sensing system (the Cure Simulator) alone with sensors plugs installations and check at the FOD mould.
- Development of the "Simuline" sensor, that combine the advantages of the in-mould and the Cure Simulator i.e. the Simuline is fed by the resin that is injected into the mould and at the same time can follow the temperature, and as a result, the curing as if the sensor was in the cavity. This new sensor was tested successfully and is in the process of being patented.
- Elaborating a hybrid twin merging physics-based and data-driven models for the RTM manufacturing process of the smart structure. This hybrid twin allows real-time prediction of flow front position and global material parameters identification using only resin time arrival at sensors location. Thanks to first injections measurements, FE model of the RTM process has been updated and good correlation between experiments and simulations in terms of inlet pressure and filling time are obtained. Indeed, filling factor, filling time, flow front velocity, pressure, temperature and degree of cure are available everywhere in the manufactured part, including sensors locations.
- A specific data acquisition interface has been developed in MATLAB® to gather data from all sensors (FO, RA, flow rate, pressure and temperature). This interface, also connected to the hybrid twin, can predict, in real time, flow front position and local material properties.
- Developing a detailed Finite Element (FE) model allowing simulating the mechanical response of the realistic geometry of the FOD panel. The FE model encompasses failure criteria and considers the effect of the induced centrifugal forces and the bird strike case. Moreover, a draft regarding Piezoelectric (PZT) sensors positioning has been provided.
- Integrating printed sensors (PZT and temperature) on several panels have been achieved and their reliability is currently being tested.
- An experimental campaign has been lunched on the low-cycle fatigue tests of the sensorised structures, that will provide be used to feed novel data driven prognostics methodologies to predicts their Remaining Useful Life (RUL). This rare open database, will be shared with the scientific community.
- Conducting FE simulations and experiments of the shock laser-based disassembly process. The methodology for the debonding also proved useful for the propagation of the damage. Additionally, numerical models where improved to match the conducted experiments. The extended debonding simulation at the coupon level concluded that the process can be extended for extensive area debonding, while the resulting damage at the composite is confined to matrix cracking, while the fibers remain intact.
- After first tests on Lab-scale samples, semi industrial pyrolysis and post pyrolysis (oxidation) trials on rCF have then been performed through several campaigns. Part of the trials has been performed in an oven with controlled atmosphere (N2) and air inlet enabling to perform pyrolysis and oxidation in the same furnace. The optimized thermal treatment shows that recycled carbon fibers rCF can be obtained with acceptable properties close to virgin carbon fibers, with a 13% reduction of Tensile/ Young Modulus.
The proof of concept addressed in MORPHO is related to an aeronautical engine fan blade composed of hybrid material with an emphasis on smart manufacturing and health assessment.It’s expected impacts as well as the actual project contributions are the following one:
- Manufacturing next generation multifunctional and intelligent airframe and engine parts: RTM process of the fan blades is about to be monitored and a hybrid twin of this process has been developed. In that sense, MORPHO is on the way to reach this impact.
- New manufacturing paradigm shift with enhanced ecological maintenance and recycling characteristics. Dismantling tests using LASER shock and pyrolysis tests on SAFRAN materials have been successfully carried out. In that sense, MORPHO is on the way to reach this impact.
- New/updated technologies that will offer a competitive advantage of European MROs.
- Maintaining and extending European industrial leadership.
- Manufacturing next generation multifunctional and intelligent airframe and engine parts: RTM process of the fan blades is about to be monitored and a hybrid twin of this process has been developed. In that sense, MORPHO is on the way to reach this impact.
- New manufacturing paradigm shift with enhanced ecological maintenance and recycling characteristics. Dismantling tests using LASER shock and pyrolysis tests on SAFRAN materials have been successfully carried out. In that sense, MORPHO is on the way to reach this impact.
- New/updated technologies that will offer a competitive advantage of European MROs.
- Maintaining and extending European industrial leadership.