The results of this contest, published in the journal Journal of CompositeMaterials in March 2013, greatly contribute to the reputation of the winning laboratory, as shown by the previous edition (WWFE I). This public evaluation is very much appreciated by manufacturers, who take it into account when choosing their simulation tools
Result of a finite elements numerical simulation (ZéBuLoN code) showing the field of plastic deformations in a micro-structure of a compositematerial with a metal matrix... The illustrations above are a representation of the micro-metric dimension of compositematerials used, for example, in an aircraft engine
"In the eighties, we had high hopes for ceramic matrix composites; that is, ceramics reinforced with fibers", recalls Michel Parlier, researcher at the Department of compositematerials and systems at Onera. "But the results were disappointing: the mechanical characteristics were not as good as we 'd have liked, and the cost was too high"
But these compositematerials are very difficult to model. "We are trying to understand the aerodynamics of the blades (air flows around airfoil) and their aeroelasticity (the way in which the structure is deformed by the combined action of the wind and the rotation of the blades), says Marc Rapin, research engineer at Onera
In order to meet the challenges associated with the considerable increase in air traffic expected in the coming years, or the increasing use of compositematerials, ONERA will assist the DGAC through research agreements, deepening knowledge of these various phenomena and modeling them. If you are interested in this research, come and meet our experts!
So Onera has designed a five blade propeller, of a smaller diameter than existing propellers, and made of compositematerials so thickness can be decreased. Resistance calculations are currently being done for models of this propeller, using a CAD software package (Catia)
The optimization of this aircraft demanded the synthesis of multiple technologies, in the fields of aerodynamics, propulsion, materials and structures, generalized automatic control, optoelectronics, microelectronics and signal processing... Rendering a target discrete implies further developing the shapes, coating and materials, as well as the equipment, without reducing performance
Composite and metallic materials, with parts made through innovative processes. Embedded systems, with a cooled infra-red camera with integrated optics