Load analysis of an aircraft using simplified aerodynamic and structural models


Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, Mühendislik Fakültesi, Havacılık ve Uzay Mühendisliği Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2015

Öğrenci: EMRE ÜNAY

Danışman: ALTAN KAYRAN

Özet:

Aircraft must be light enough to fly but also strong enough to endure the loads they experience during flight. Designing such a structure is one of the most demanding works in an aircraft design project. In order to design such a structure, accurate evaluation of loads is important. Once the loads applied to the structure are calculated precisely, then the deflections and stresses can be calculated and sizing of the structures can be performed accordingly. Therefore, in aircraft design projects, loads group lies at the heart of the design cycle. It receives inputs from various design groups such as aerodynamics group, structures group, weight and balance group, systems groups, airworthiness group, and so on. Not only receiving these inputs, but load group also provides outputs to various groups, mainly structural design and analysis. Those interactions make aircraft loads one of the most multidisciplinary subjects in aircraft design and analysis. On the other hand, because of those interactions with all disciplines of the design cycle, load analyses are also quite complex, requires systematic work, ability to process massive amounts of data, adequate insight of both aerodynamic and structural issues and communication with not only within the company but also with certification authorities. The objective of this study is provide a comprehensive overview of load analysis process, to develop methods for simplification of aircraft structural and aerodynamic models to make it possible to perform the load analysis in a fast and integrated way during conceptual and preliminary design phases, then to perform a load analysis of an ultralight aircraft as a case study for the demonstration of the load analysis process.