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Design and Development of a Composite Ventral Fin for a Light Aircraft

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Design and Development of a Composite Ventral Fin for a Light Aircraft Design and development of a composite ventral fin for a light aircraft JL Pieterse 26624966 Dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Magister in Mechanical Engineering at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University Supervisor: Dr J van Rensburg April 2015 DECLARATION I, Justin Lee Pieterse, hereby declare that the work contained in this dissertation was produced by myself and is my own, original and unaided work. Some of the information contained in this dissertation has been gained from various journal articles; text books etc, and has been referenced accordingly. The word herein has not been submitted for a degree at another university. __________________________________________________ Author: Justin Lee Pieterse i ABSTRACT The AHRLAC aircraft is a high performance light aircraft that is developed and manufactured in South Africa by Aerosud ITC in partnership with Paramount. This aircraft is the first of its kind to originate from South Africa. The aircraft has a twin boom, tandem pilot seating configuration, with a Pratt and Whitney turbine-propeller engine in a pusher configuration. The main structure of the aircraft is a conventional metallic structure, while the fairings and some secondary structures are composite. This study will focus on the design and development of the composite ventral fin of the first prototype aircraft, the experimental demonstrator model (XDM). It is crucial to ensure that the ventral fin can function safely within the design requirements of the aircraft under the loads which the fin is likely to encounter. Preceding the design process, a critical overview of composite materials used in aircraft applications is provided. This will include the materials, manufacturing methods, analysis and similar work done in this field of study. The literature will be used in the study for decision-making and validation of proven concepts and methodologies. The first part of this study entailed choosing a suitable composite material and manufacturing method for this specific application. The manufacturing method and materials used had to suit the aircraft prototype application. The limitations of using composite materials were researched as to recognize bad practice and limit design flaws on the ventral fin. Once the material and manufacturing methods were chosen, ventral fin concepts were evaluated using computer aided finite element analysis (FEA) with mass, stiffness and strength being the main parameters of concern. The load cases used in this evaluation were given by the lead structural engineer and aerodynamicist. The calculations of these loads are not covered in detail in this study. The FEA input material properties used, were determined by material testing by the relevant test methods. The ventral fin concept started as the minimal design with the lowest mass. The deflections, composite failure and fastener failure were then evaluated against the required values. The concept was modified by adding stiffening elements, such as ribs and spars, until satisfactory results were obtained. In this way a minimal mass component is designed and verified that it can adequately perform its designed tasks under the expected load conditions. Each part used in the ventral fin assembly was not individually optimized for mass, but rather the assembly as a whole. The final concept was modelled using the computer aided design software, CATIA. This model used in combination with a ply book made it possible to manufacture the ventral fin in a repeatable manner. A test ventral fin was manufactured using the selected materials and manufacturing methods to validate the design methodology. In the next step the selected load cases were used in static testing to validate the FEM through comparison. The result of the study is a composite ventral fin of which the mass, stiffness and strength are suitable to perform its function safely on the first prototype AHRLAC aircraft. The study concludes on the process followed from material selection to FEA and detail design, in order for this same method to be used on other AHRLAC XDM composite parts. ii KEYWORDS Aerospace Aircraft CFRTS Composite Design Epoxy Finite element analysis Glass fibre Manufacture Nastran Patran Static testing iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people helped me over the course of my research and this dissertation would not have been possible without all their support. I would like to display my sincere gratitude to Mr. Paul Potgieter Jnr. and Dr. Paul Potgieter, who gave me the opportunity to be a part of a major South African aviation defining project, the AHRLAC, and supporting me in the use of my work on this project as the topic of my Masters dissertation. I would also like to acknowledge the contributions that Aerosud ITC and Paramount made toward this study, without which this would not have been possible. I would like to thank Mr. Nico Kotzé for the load generations and safety factor requirements of the ventral fin, as well as his guidance on the structures, aircraft stress analysis and finite element modelling. A special thanks to Mr. Gus Brown for the aerodynamic analysis and inputs for the final design requirements. I am also very grateful to Mr. Sampie Bannister for the computer aided modelling of the ventral fin components that were used in the design. I wish to express my sincere thanks to Mr. Gavin Lundie for his professional advice on aircraft structure, concepts and design, which proved to be invaluable in this study. Without Dr. Kjelt van Rijswijk, I would not have been exposed to composite materials in my professional career. For his expert advice and knowledge on composite materials and all related matters I am very grateful. I would also like to acknowledge, with gratitude, my colleagues, Mr. Walter de Jesus, Mr. Seef Vogel and Mr. Johan Kok, for all their help in material testing, sample manufacturing and manufacturing of the test ventral fin and testing equipment. I am deeply grateful to Prof. Leon Liebenberg and Dr. Johann van Rensburg for assisting me in the process of transforming my engineering work into a Master dissertation. Lastly I would like to express my deepest gratitude and love to my wife Adri for her continued love and support and keeping me in good spirits when I needed it most. Without her dedication I would have been lost. And to my daughter Emma, your little smiles never failed to keep me positive, thank you deeply. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ........................................................................................................................................i Abstract ............................................................................................................................................. ii Keywords ........................................................................................................................................ iii Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. xi List of Abbreviations ................................................................................................................. xii 1 Introduction 1.1 Background ......................................................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Motivation for the study ................................................................................................................................ 1-3 1.3 Objectives of the study ................................................................................................................................... 1-6 1.4 Layout of the dissertation ............................................................................................................................. 1-7 2 Aerospace composites overview 2.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Composite materials ....................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Manufacturing of composites ....................................................................................................................2-17 2.4 Limitations of composites ..........................................................................................................................2-22 2.5 Analysis of composites .................................................................................................................................2-27 2.6 Similar work done ..........................................................................................................................................2-33 2.7 Safety and environmental considerations ...........................................................................................2-39 2.8 Conclusion .........................................................................................................................................................2-40
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