Advanced Aircraft Aerodynamic load prediction using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Transport and the Environment

University of Southampton

Aerospace industry is a large industry sector in the UK. Aerodynamic performance of civil transport aircraft is closely linked to efficiency and environment, through CO2 and NOX emission and local noise pollution. Landing gears are deployed during take-off and landing-to-approach phases of operation. They produce extra unsteady aero loads as well as airframe noise. Landing gear manufacture, integration, performance and certification is a large sector for the UK aerospace industry. The current levels of prediction accuracy are not good enough. The low level of accuracy has an adverse consequence on business. In the past advances have been made on numerical and prediction methods, under separate load and noise frameworks.

Within this EngD project, prediction methods on landing gear aero-loads will be developed using advanced, high-fidelity numerical modelling. The tools will enable off-design/future advanced designs. This innovative approach will, for the first time, enable landing gear design engineers to optimise future aircraft gear designs prior to manufacture, thereby saving time and cost during the manufacturing and test phases.

The EngD student will also have opportunities to work on wind tunnel experiments in at University of Southampton low speed wind tunnels. The experimental precision scale models, including accurate details of landing gear moveable components and dressings will be manufactured using additive layer manufacturing (ALM) and other techniques. Advanced diagnostics tools such as high speed Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) will be utilised to provide a database of highly complex flow and noise physics associated with landing gears for analysis. The database will aid the development of numerical and prediction CFD tools. The various types of experimental data collected will verify high-fidelity numerical methods.

The successful student will work with researchers/students in Airbus Aircraft Noise Technology Centre (ANTC - http://www.southampton.ac.uk/antc/), and will be able use the resources in the centre. Further help will be available from Airbus.