Trajectory reconstruction of a wingtip segment separated from an aircraft using CFD simulation

Abstract

Reconstructing the trajectory of the disintegrated component in an aircraft using numerical methods is anticipated to be a valuable technology for air crash investigation. The motion of separated objects in the air is significantly influenced by aerodynamic loads, making it necessary to employ computational fluid dynamics to estimate the forces and moments acting on the objects. To address the limitations of current methods, a multi-zone dynamic mesh method was utilized and validated via a store separation case, demonstrating good consistency with wind tunnel data. Since the trajectory of the wingtip is highly dependent on the center of gravity and mass properties, a predictive-level finite element model was developed using 3D scanning and reverse engineering techniques. Trajectories of the wingtip for a Tu-154M under various initial conditions were reconstructed, revealing nonlinear variations over time. By comparing the predicted crash position with the actual one, it is possible to ascertain the aircraft's condition at the moment when the wingtip separated.