Aircraft Structures Modeling Course
Aircraft Structures Modeling Course for Cabin Interior Composite and Metallic Structures
Includes the Bronze Level FEA Course
Course Highlights
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Why this course?
Aircraft Structures Modeling and Certification can be a long, tedious and complex process if you don't know what you are doing. Mistakes can be expensive to the company. For all new and modified designs of these structures, the process begins with FEM Modeling of these complex structures. But it does not have to be tedious, learn how to do it efficiently and have fun...
Once you learn the basics of the FEM Modeling process, special methods are required to model these complex structures. These are not taught in schools, you typically learn them on the job. Or, you can enroll in the aircraft structures modeling course and learn yourself.
This course is ideal for stress or design engineers in the field of aerostructures.
Using FEMAP/NxNastran, you will learn to model these complex structures, step by step, using proven industry standard techniques I have personally used in my career.
The goal is to use what you learnt in the FEA course, and then build aerostructure models, apply constraints, loads, create analysis sets, control output and eventually generate interface loads at airframe interface points.
And best of all, you can enjoy any course, web page or blog post on this website, on any device such as a desktop, laptop, mobile or tablet. Make sure you have a wifi or a high speed internet connection with cookies enabled.
This course will lay the critical foundation you need for the next level advanced course of aerospace cabin interiors stress analysis, which is the Gold level course.
- Engineering college curriculum
- An interest in finite element analysis and aerostructures modeling
- Note that free FEMAP/NxNastran download and installation instructions are included in the course
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Course Syllabus
This course is divided into three different modules:
Module 1: Cabin Structures Introduction Module
There are four lessons in this module covering various aspects of aircraft cabin layout, different types of interior structures, example structures are shown along with details covering their functions and other technical details.
Also covered are aspects relating to the main structural component of these structures which are light weight sandwich panel structures, their technical details and interpreting their data for analysis purposes.
The module is wrapped up with a deep dive into an example structure and its various components.
Module 2: Aircraft Stiffness Modeling
The interior structures are installed in the aircraft and are secured by attaching them to the airframe structure. This module covers the modeling of the stiffness of the support structure used to secure the interior structures. Two different methods are demonstrated in this module, one using classical hand calculations, and another using finite element modeling of the floor structure.
Module 3: Aircraft Structures FEM Modeling
The final module has many lessons. The modules covers every aspect of modeling an example interior structure with two different units in one installation. All aspects of the modeling process are covered including geometry manipulation, midsurfacing, setting up various material properties and physical properties, mesh sizing and meshing, setting up various boundary conditions such as constraints and loading per 14 CFR Part 25.561 as well as special condition such as rapid decompression, analysis set up and running the model, interpreting and manipulating the results, panel pin modeling techniques for panel joints, as well as a NASA equivalent plate modeling technique as an alternate method of modeling sandwich structures.
Future: More Lessons
As time goes on, more lessons may be added to provide students with further knowledge on different kinds of structures to improve on the solid foundation already covered in the course.
Introduction Module
20:35
In this video, we will dive into the LOPA and Floor Plan, Green Aircraft, Interiors installation example views, VIP/Business Jet interiors example views, and other important top level aspects of cabin structures.
Interior Item Examples
20:07
In this video, we will look at some example interior items or structures, their functions, images and descriptions of these structures. VIP/business jet interior item examples, cutaway view of a mock up interior layout, some cargo hold item examples are also covered.
Sandwich Panel Data
24:47
In this video, we will cover some technical aspects of sandwich panel material and physical properties. Make sure you refer to the additional training and resource links at the bottom of the lesson to gain further understanding of sandwich panel behavior and testing.
Example Cabinet Structure
18:40
In the final lesson of this module, we will take a closer look at an example cabinet structure, general construction and some other structural details.
Aircraft Interface Stiffness Module
Aircraft Stiffness Part1
23:53
In this lesson we will discuss the first method of calculating the aircraft overhead and floor structure stiffness.
Aircraft Stiffness Part2
42:36
In this lesson we will discuss the second method of modeling the aircraft floor structure stiffness using equivalent floor beam and seat track beam 'EI' values.
Structures Modeling Module
Partition Geometry Components
11:51
In this video we will study the various components in an example full width full height partition.
Partition Geometry Preparation
19:11
In this video we will use the example full width full height partition and prepare the geometry for meshing.
Partition Geometry Mid Surfacing Part1
23:18
In this video we will start preparing the panel and plate geometry for meshing by creating midsurfaces, creating mesh points etc.
Partition Geometry Mid Surfacing Part2
18:53
In this video we will we will build on the mid surfacing from Part 1 and add mesh points to the geometry, associate them with the mid surfaces as mesh points and then move them around as needed.
Panel Ply Materials
50:41
In this video we will we will complete the geometry preparation. After that we will define sandwich panel ply materials, which will then be used in defining the panel PCOMP layup property.
Defining Properties
38:22
In this video we will use the panel ply and other materials we just defined and build the sandwich panel PCOMP and other properties.
Meshing Control
44:54
In this video we will learn how to define the mesh sizing, mesh points on surface and other control parameters before meshing the model.
Meshing Elements
44:54
In this video we will learn how to properly mesh the entire model and check the mesh for free edges. This includes sandwich panels and fitting/tie rod elements, nodes, content or LRU weights modeled as CONM2 elements, various connections and joints, screws/inserts etc.
Boundary Conditions
26:40
In this video we will learn how to define the loads and constraints as part of the Analysis Boundary Conditions.
Center of Gravity
20:01
In this video we will learn about the significance of the Center of Gravity table, how to define a center of gravity table in Excel for each compartment, LRU and empty structure, then how to implement the excel table values in the FEM Model.
Analysis Setup Run
36:55
In this video we will learn how to set up the analysis options, different subcases, study some solution parameters and look at important output requests.
Results and Interface Loads
54:26
In this video we will learn how to display and analyze the results and extract the interface loads from the model at the aircraft interface points, then populate them in Excel I-Loads Tables.
Partition With Cabinet
51:57
In this video, we will look at a new assembly model. This model includes a cabinet connected to a partition. We will also discuss a common mistake that throws people off.
Panel Pin Modeling Part1
37:38
In this video we will learn many interesting things about the use of panel pins, definition, their selection, stiffness, PBUSH/CBUSH definition and testing among other details.
Panel Pin Modeling Part2
57:36
In this video we will learn how to model panel pins using a "non-coincident" CBUSH element approach, including mid-surfacing and element orientation definition techniques to effectively visualize and extract loads from these elements later.
Panel Pin Modeling Part3
30:41
In this video we will continue and finish up modeling the panel pins, run the model, fix and debug errors in the model and then finally import panel pin loads and moments into Excel.
NASA Equivalent Plate Method
25:54
In this video we will learn how to model sandwich aircraft structures using the NASA Equivalent Modeling Method and Compare Results with Laminates.
Course Duration
How long will it take to finish?
This answer depends on how much time you can dedicate. First it is mandatory you finish the Bronze level FEA Course before jumping into this course.
If you spend all day every day on both courses, you will finish them much faster than other students who may be working and have a few hours in a week to spend on the courses. So it varies from student to student.