Numerical Drop Test of a Full Composite Fuselage Section Having Two Components of Velocity

Abstract

In the present work two different crash scenarios have been numerically investigated in order to evaluate the structural behaviour of a full-scale composite made fuselage section of a regional aircraft under dynamic load conditions. The developed Finite Element model has been validated with respect to the experimental results obtained during a test campaign performed at Italian Aerospace Research Centre (CIRA). The reference experimental test consisted in a 4.26 m vertical drop with an impact velocity equal to 9.14 m/s. Starting from the FE model validated respect to the pure vertical drop test condition, in this work, a new impact scenario onto a rigid surface has been simulated applying both horizontal and vertical velocity components, resulting in an overall impact speed of 22 m/s. The FE explicit solver LS-DYNA® has been used to perform the simulation. The results, in terms of global deformations, failures and local accelerations, have been compared with the numeric pure vertical drop test ones in order to evaluate how more complex impact conditions could influence the structural behaviour of the fuselage section with a focus of improved crashworthy components in Certification by Analysis (CbA) point of view.