Florida International University leverages VABs software to optimize composite aerospace structures

Various cross-sections designed, along with the corresponding stress distribution within each section. Source | Flordia International University

Florida International University (Miami, U.S.) is participating in AnalySwift LLC’s (West Lafayette, Ind., U.S.) Academic Partner Program (APP) and is using VABS — AnalySwift’s high-fidelity modeling software for composites — for researching aerospace structures such as wings and antennas. The work is part of the university’s Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) Laboratory within the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, which seeks to improve aerospace structure design and facilitate stress flow based on the principles of Constructal Law.

APP offers participating universities no-cost licenses of engineering software
programs VABS and SwiftComp so students, researchers and faculty can leverage the tools in their academic research.

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The VABS program is a general-purpose, cross-sectional analysis tool for predicting structural beam properties and recovering 3D stresses, strains and strengths of slender composite structures. AnalySwift says it is a powerful tool for modeling composite rotorcraft (helicopter, air mobility, unmanned aerial vehicles) and wind turbine rotor blades, as well as other slender composite structures, such as propellers, landing gear and high-aspect ratio wings.

“We are pleased that Florida International University has found VABS helpful in their design and analysis workflow as they improve longevity and functional capabilities of aerospace structures,” says Allan Wood, president and CEO of AnalySwift. “As a versatile, cross-sectional analysis tool, VABS delivers high-fidelity results early on to help computationally resolve engineering challenges, reduce trial and errors and arrive at the best solution more quickly.”

Hadi Ebrahimi Fakhari, a Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering at the university explains their research project, which focuses on developing a constructal design approach to identify configurations for aerospace structures that maximize longevity, enhance safety and expand functional capabilities. “I support this work through a combination of finite element analysis [FEA], theoretical analysis and experimental validation,” Ebrahimi Fakhari explains. “In the FSI Laboratory, we analyze the forces and boundary conditions generated by airflow and use them as inputs to study structural responses. Our goal is to improve designs by facilitating smooth stress distribution and preventing stress concentrations, with a primary focus
is on aerospace structures, particularly wings and antennas.”

Professor Pezhman Mardanpour, director of the FSI laboratory, describes how his team incorporated VABS into their workflow. “They first designed the cross-section and used VABS to obtain the stiffness matrix. Then, they used another tool to determine the trimmed shape and flutter speed. Finally, they performed stress recovery using VABS once again.”