Final Report Summary - ALPES (Aircraft Loads Prediction for Enhanced Simulation)
Overview - Aircraft Loads Prediction using Enhanced Simulation (ALPES)
Website address: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/aerodynamics-research/research-projects/alpes/
PI: Prof Jonathan Cooper. j.e.cooper@bristol.ac.uk
ALPES is an EC FP7 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions European Industrial Doctorate Initial Training Network which ran from 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2017. The partners in the project were the University of Bristol (UoB) and Siemens Industry Software NV (SISW), with Airbus Operations Ltd an Associate Partner. The aim of the network was to improve the prediction accuracy and efficiency of the loads experienced by an aircraft in-flight and on the ground. The ALPES network involved five Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) who were also registered for PhDs at the University of Bristol, combining a novel research programme with a highly industrially focused training schedule, including placements at Airbus in the UK. The programme contributed towards two key aspects of the ACARE2020 and FLIGHTPATH2050 initiatives, with the technologies developed helping towards the development of environmentally friendly aircraft designs and faster design and certification process.
Summary of Project Objectives:
• To develop novel methods and procedures to improve the accuracy and efficiency of aircraft loads predictions
• To provide an industrially focused training regime for the researchers can move directly into the European aerospace industry
• To assess the methodologies developed in ALPES on industrial scale models, working with engineers in industry
• To transfer the technical developments made in ALPES into industry
The ALPES ITN successfully met all of these objectives.
Description of Work Performed Since the Beginning of the Project
During the course of the first year of the project, five high quality ESRs were recruited. During their three year programme of study, the ESRs were either based for 18 months at UoB and then at SISW, or vice versa. Training placements were also undertaken at Airbus along with an impressive number of technical and personnel development courses. A considerable number of journal and conference publications were published describing the technical work and results that were achieved. ALPES ESRs also participated in a number of outreach events for school children and the general public.
Each ESR in the ALPES ITN has specialised in one of the following technical areas supervised by a mix of academic and industrial engineers from the project partners:
1. Andrea Castrichini – Improved modelling of landing, manoeuvre and gust loads for combined high load events
2. Adrien Poncet-Montages – Reduced Order Modelling approaches for landing, manoeuvres and gust loads
3. Carmine Valente - Development of efficient and accurate gust loads modelling techniques combining high and low fidelity methods
4. M Castellani – Development of improved approaches to determine worst case predictions of gust, manoeuvre and landing loads
5. Irene Tartaruga – Development of methods for uncertainty quantification of landing, gust and manoeuvre loads
ESR Projects – main results and highlights
ESR1 Coupling of unsteady Aerodynamic Loads with flexible bodies using a Multi-Body Simulation
Development of a folding wing tip device for gust loads alleviation - this has led to a patent application
ESR2 Creation of reduced order models of the structure that account for control surface deflection and rigid body motion.
The development of reduced order models assuming a local dynamic linearity about a onlinear mean flow solution.
Development of nonlinear aerodynamic models based on a nonlinear quasi-static plus dynamically linear assumptions.
ESR3 The use of CFD data to update vortex lattice models of aircraft gust responses
Creation of a fluid structure interaction environment “ALPESOpenFSI"
This research effort has also enabled the use of strong coupling and variable time stepping in the Tau CFD code.
ESR4 Efficient ROM Approach for Loads Prediction
An approach for rapid loads estimation based on Parametric Model Order Reduction (PMOR) has been developed
ESR5 Uncertainty Quantification of Aircraft Correlated Loads
Development of a methodology to perform sensitivity analysis (SA) and uncertainty quantification (UQ) in terms of the locus of
Hopf bifurcation points in nonlinear systems.
ALPES Expected Final Results and Impact
The ALPES MSCA ITN has been a great success and the project received an outstanding review from the EU Project Officer at the Mid-Term Review Meeting held at SISW in Leuven on the 6th June 2015. All of the required ESR posts were filled with impressive researchers who have produced excellent work for their PhD studies and in addition undertook a huge amount of training. Very good contacts were developed between all the partners including Airbus.
In the second half of the project the aim was very much to consolidate the progress of the ITN, including publication of the research at international conferences and in journals, and to have further interaction with industry. We also aimed to build upon the success of the initial programme of Outreach activities which had already engendered some extremely successful promotion of the ALPES project and, more widely, of the EC Marie Sklodowska-Curie ITN initiative.
At the end point of the ALPES Project on 30 September 2017 three out of the five ESRs have already undertaken and been awarded their PhDs the remaining two are in the final stages of writing up and their PhD Exams (VIVAs) will be arranged in due course.
In conclusion: the work done, and the final results, on the ALPES Project has great potential to improve the prediction accuracy, and also the efficiency in calculation, of aircraft loads; leading to improved lighter aircraft designs. These findings will help to meet some of the key objectives of the FLIGHTPATH2050 initiative which sets some extremely challenging goals for future environmental aircraft emissions, but also to enable rapid evaluation and certification of novel aircraft designs / configurations - enabling the European Aerospace Industry to maintain its worldwide lead.
Website address: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/aerodynamics-research/research-projects/alpes/
PI: Prof Jonathan Cooper. j.e.cooper@bristol.ac.uk
ALPES is an EC FP7 Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions European Industrial Doctorate Initial Training Network which ran from 1 October 2013 to 30 September 2017. The partners in the project were the University of Bristol (UoB) and Siemens Industry Software NV (SISW), with Airbus Operations Ltd an Associate Partner. The aim of the network was to improve the prediction accuracy and efficiency of the loads experienced by an aircraft in-flight and on the ground. The ALPES network involved five Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) who were also registered for PhDs at the University of Bristol, combining a novel research programme with a highly industrially focused training schedule, including placements at Airbus in the UK. The programme contributed towards two key aspects of the ACARE2020 and FLIGHTPATH2050 initiatives, with the technologies developed helping towards the development of environmentally friendly aircraft designs and faster design and certification process.
Summary of Project Objectives:
• To develop novel methods and procedures to improve the accuracy and efficiency of aircraft loads predictions
• To provide an industrially focused training regime for the researchers can move directly into the European aerospace industry
• To assess the methodologies developed in ALPES on industrial scale models, working with engineers in industry
• To transfer the technical developments made in ALPES into industry
The ALPES ITN successfully met all of these objectives.
Description of Work Performed Since the Beginning of the Project
During the course of the first year of the project, five high quality ESRs were recruited. During their three year programme of study, the ESRs were either based for 18 months at UoB and then at SISW, or vice versa. Training placements were also undertaken at Airbus along with an impressive number of technical and personnel development courses. A considerable number of journal and conference publications were published describing the technical work and results that were achieved. ALPES ESRs also participated in a number of outreach events for school children and the general public.
Each ESR in the ALPES ITN has specialised in one of the following technical areas supervised by a mix of academic and industrial engineers from the project partners:
1. Andrea Castrichini – Improved modelling of landing, manoeuvre and gust loads for combined high load events
2. Adrien Poncet-Montages – Reduced Order Modelling approaches for landing, manoeuvres and gust loads
3. Carmine Valente - Development of efficient and accurate gust loads modelling techniques combining high and low fidelity methods
4. M Castellani – Development of improved approaches to determine worst case predictions of gust, manoeuvre and landing loads
5. Irene Tartaruga – Development of methods for uncertainty quantification of landing, gust and manoeuvre loads
ESR Projects – main results and highlights
ESR1 Coupling of unsteady Aerodynamic Loads with flexible bodies using a Multi-Body Simulation
Development of a folding wing tip device for gust loads alleviation - this has led to a patent application
ESR2 Creation of reduced order models of the structure that account for control surface deflection and rigid body motion.
The development of reduced order models assuming a local dynamic linearity about a onlinear mean flow solution.
Development of nonlinear aerodynamic models based on a nonlinear quasi-static plus dynamically linear assumptions.
ESR3 The use of CFD data to update vortex lattice models of aircraft gust responses
Creation of a fluid structure interaction environment “ALPESOpenFSI"
This research effort has also enabled the use of strong coupling and variable time stepping in the Tau CFD code.
ESR4 Efficient ROM Approach for Loads Prediction
An approach for rapid loads estimation based on Parametric Model Order Reduction (PMOR) has been developed
ESR5 Uncertainty Quantification of Aircraft Correlated Loads
Development of a methodology to perform sensitivity analysis (SA) and uncertainty quantification (UQ) in terms of the locus of
Hopf bifurcation points in nonlinear systems.
ALPES Expected Final Results and Impact
The ALPES MSCA ITN has been a great success and the project received an outstanding review from the EU Project Officer at the Mid-Term Review Meeting held at SISW in Leuven on the 6th June 2015. All of the required ESR posts were filled with impressive researchers who have produced excellent work for their PhD studies and in addition undertook a huge amount of training. Very good contacts were developed between all the partners including Airbus.
In the second half of the project the aim was very much to consolidate the progress of the ITN, including publication of the research at international conferences and in journals, and to have further interaction with industry. We also aimed to build upon the success of the initial programme of Outreach activities which had already engendered some extremely successful promotion of the ALPES project and, more widely, of the EC Marie Sklodowska-Curie ITN initiative.
At the end point of the ALPES Project on 30 September 2017 three out of the five ESRs have already undertaken and been awarded their PhDs the remaining two are in the final stages of writing up and their PhD Exams (VIVAs) will be arranged in due course.
In conclusion: the work done, and the final results, on the ALPES Project has great potential to improve the prediction accuracy, and also the efficiency in calculation, of aircraft loads; leading to improved lighter aircraft designs. These findings will help to meet some of the key objectives of the FLIGHTPATH2050 initiative which sets some extremely challenging goals for future environmental aircraft emissions, but also to enable rapid evaluation and certification of novel aircraft designs / configurations - enabling the European Aerospace Industry to maintain its worldwide lead.