Increased flight safety requirements bring to the fore a range of new problems related to ensuring the strength of aircraft structures [1]. In particular, among the various influences on aircraft, the class of so-called impact loads has recently become relevant. The nature of these influences can vary: explosions in the cabin, collisions with foreign objects in flight and during ground operations [2]. A typical characteristic of impacts is the influence of local loads over a short period of time. An impact leads to a sharp jump in stresses and deformations in a local area of the aircraft structure. Such impacts include collisions of aircraft with birds in flight.

A methodology for modeling bird strikes on the leading edge of an aircraft's horizontal stabilizer is offered. To this end, finite element computational models and algorithms for numerical simulation of the collision process between the leading edge and a bird have been developed. When creating the computational model, the main focus was on creating an ordered grid discretization structure with theoretically minimal error. To simulate the impact of a bird on the horizontal stabilizer leading edge, a mathematical model of the pressure pulse arising from the impact of a bird created on the basis of hydrodynamic theory [3] is proposed. The bird model parameters included the bird's geometric characteristics, mass, speed, angle of impact, and point of impact.

Two cases of bird collision were considered: between diaphragms and with a diaphragm. The stresses and deformations of the structure were investigated.

The simulation results were compared with experimental results. The results of the work demonstrated the possibility of adequately replacing bench tests with computational virtual experiments in the design of aircraft stabilizers. This makes it possible to reasonably reduce experimental testing of design options and lower the cost of certification testing of aircraft designs.

References:

1. Smetankina N.V. Optimal design of layered cylindrical shells with minimum weight under impulse loading / N.V. Smetankina, O.V. Postnyi, S.Yu. Misura, A.I. Merkulova, D.O. Merkulov // 2021 IEEE 2nd KhPI Week on Advanced Technology (KhPIWeek). – 2021. – P. 506–509. Режим доступу: https://doi.org/10.1109/KhPIWeek53812.2021.9569982

2. Merculov V. Improving the accuracy of the behaviour simulation of the material of the turbojet aircraft engine fan rotor blades in the event of a bird strike by using adapted finite element computational models / V. Merculov, M. Kostin, G. Martynenko, N. Smetankina, V. Martynenko // Materials Today: Proceedings. – 2022. – Vol. 59, No 3. – P. 1797–1803. Режим доступу: https://doi.org10.1016/j.matpr.2022.04.381

3. Smetankina N. Simulating the process of a bird striking a rigid target / N. Smetankina, S. Ugrimov, I. Kravchenko, D. Ivchenko // Advances in Design, Simulation and Manufacturing II. DSMIE 2019. Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering. – 2020. – P. 711–721. Режим доступу: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-22365-6_71