Assessment of arresting performance of foamed concrete arrestors via the coupled discrete element and virtual prototype simulations

Abstract

Engineered material arresting system (EMAS) is a foamed concrete arrestor that can arrest aircraft overrunning the runway. Identification of the arresting effect of foamed concrete materials on overrunning aircraft is crucial for optimizing EMAS. By coupling the Discrete Element Method (DEM) and the Virtual Prototype Method (VPM), the EMAS crushing process and the aircraft dynamics are simulated simultaneously. The material properties of different foamed concrete were firstly determined via experiments, and then adopted as input for DEM of EMAS. Subsequently, the VPM of A320 aircraft with various overrun speeds was established. The rationality of the DEM-VPM model was verified by the field test result. The sensitivity analysis on the arresting processes reveals that a 67% increase in EMAS thickness and a 102% increase in material strength can enhance the arresting performance by 96% and 11.5%, respectively. However, freeze–thaw has negative effect. In addition, higher overrun speeds of the aircraft can cause greater acceleration and drag forces, and thereby magnify the risk of damage to the aircraft.