STRUCTURAL TECHNOLOGIES DIVISION

SUMMARY
_________________________________________________________________________

The Division was involved in a number of activities including research and technology
development, national projects, international projects and inter-disciplinary engineering. In
essence, the period saw a holistic development of various activities and interactive working
among various groups.

In the Dynamics and Adaptive Structures Group (DASG), Ground Vibration Tests (GVT)
were performed for various configurations on Gipps Aero GA10 Airvan in Australia to
estimate the experimental modal parameters and the flutter behaviour of the aircraft. The
buffet qualification for GSLV MkII is the requirement of VSSC (ISRO), in order to ensure that
the vehicle is aeroelastically stable in the transonic and in supersonic (at maximum dynamic
pressure condition-Qmax) regimes, wind tunnel tests were performed. The active engine
mount technology was demonstrated using piezoelectrically actuated active struts. The open
and closed loop tests were carried out at the engine test bed, under propeller loadings. The
TRL level of 6 is reached for this futuristic technology. The group has developed
technologies in the area of adaptive structures for active wing to address vibration control,
flutter control & flight flutter testing. Similarly formulation is developed for gust alleviation and
ground flutter simulation is demonstrated through reduced order model. Design, analysis and
fabrication procedures are addressed for the development of multifunctional composites.
Actuator/Sensor de-bonding models are developed in FEM and experimentally validated to
design damage tolerant smart structures with AVC/SHM applications.

In the Impact and Structural Crashworthiness Group (ISCG), the 8 pound gun was made
operational. Design development and fabrication of a forward velocity sled was initiated and
is expected to be made operational by June 2013. Work on calibration of gelatin versus real
birds for bird strikes was initiated. Apart from this, a crash dummy was utilized to study
vibrations in autorickshaws and a low cost seat belt and cushion was devised.

In the Fatigue and Structural Integrity Group (FSIG), a major test of the Static Strength tests
on Active antenna Array Unit and Life extension of landing gears of a fighter aircraft were
completed successfully for customers. Damage tolerance evaluation of a wing root fitting box
continued. In addition, progress has been made in the basic understanding of fatigue and
fracture mechanics arena, particularly in the area of nano-composites. Several new projects
in the area of evaluation of aircraft materials and structures from both government and
private industries were initiated. Eleventh five year plan projects were completed and
proposals for twelfth five year plan were submitted. Further, Inter-divisional activities
continued in the field of mechanical characterization of composite materials, nano-
composites, composite repair technology etc.

In the Computational Mechanics and Simulation Group (CMSG), it carried out research in
computational mechanics, simulation, design and supported work in aircraft programs.
Importantly, it has successfully carried out flutter prediction of a transport aircraft and
transonic flutter analysis of a combat aircraft wing. The group contributed in flutter prediction
for GA10 aircraft and whirl flutter prediction of engine propeller system of the same aircraft.
The group carried out research in fluid structure interaction, simulation of riveted lap joints,
FE and experimental damage tolerance studies on wing skin panels and MDO studies.
Support was provided for LCA, SARAS, NCA and AMCA programs. Reliability studies were
conducted by the group on various aircraft systems.

The Mechanical Systems Design Group (MSDG), which had its scope expanded
commenced work in Design and Development of Mechanical Systems for Aerospace
applications such as Landing Gears, Airframe mechanisms, Aircraft Systems etc. The group
also was involved in Advanced / Complex Aerospace model design, Radome Structural
Design & Analysis, High Pressure Systems Design & Development, Net shaped technology
development for Aerospace application etc. The group recently delivered 1:7.645 scale LCA
Mark-2 High speed Air Intake Air Force model to ADA, Bangalore. The model is of complex
nature involving more than 230 pressure ports at various regions on external as well as
internal duct geometry of the model along the air intake path. A 4.2 diameter GFRP
Sandwich Radome for X-band Polarimetric radar was delivered to ISRO-ISTRAC,
Bangalore. A water compatible - ultra high pressurizing system of 6900 bar capacity was
designed and developed indigenously for CFTRI. Detailed design and analysis of 4000 bar
and 6900 bar high pressure vessels was carried out as per BPVC ASME (Sec VIII, Div 3).

1. RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY ACTIVITIES

1A. Dynamics and Adaptive Structures Group (DASG)

1A.1 Aeroelastic testing of GSLV MKII

The aeroelastic buffet qualification for GSLV MK II is the requirement of VSSC (ISRO), in
order to ensure the vehicle safety in the transonic regime. A 1:42 scale model of F06
configuration is designed and ground tested (Figs 1 & 2). Shortly the model will be tested in
1.2 m Trisonic NAL wind tunnel for the required flight conditions to estimate the buffet load
on the model.




1A.2 EXPERIMENTAL Aeroelastic Studies on RLV-TD

Aeroelastic testing of RLV-TD has been taken up to ascertain the buffeting in transonic and
maximum dynamic pressure conditions for the ascend phase (RLV-TD). Also the study of
flutter characteristics of the vehicle for the descend phase (TDV) is planned. Models of RLV-
TD (1:15 scale) have been designed and analysed, considering the transonic flight condition
and maximum dynamic pressure condition in ascend phase. After freezing the design, the
transonic model is fabricated and ground tested to establish the model dynamic
characteristics in a free-free condition. Further, the model is tested in 1.2m NAL Trisonic
wind tunnel and the buffet load in terms of dynamic bending moment distribution is obtained
(Fig.3 & 4).




Fig.2: FEM and GVT mode shape comparison
(1
st
bending mode)
Fig.1: GVT of GSLV MK II - F06 model
Fig. 4: BM distribution along the length of the
vehicle for different angles of attack
RLV-TD Transonic model
Fig.3: RLV-TD transonic model in tunnel
(Ascent phase 1:15 scale)
For the descent phase configuration the proposed design of the model (1:8 scale) considers
both composite and metallic components. Initially the component level stiffness, mass
distributions are verified by analyzing each component separately. Further, integrated model
dynamics is obtained through free vibration analysis. A sting is designed to support this
model to match the wind tunnel mounting arrangements. Finally, the analysis of complete
model on the sting support system (Fig.5) is carried out. Attempt has been made for the
critical five modes to be simulated closely to match the frequency requirements (Fig.6a&b).
The strength of the model is also examined using the steady loads, supplied by VSSC at
component level to ensure model and tunnel safety. The model is currently being fabricated.



1A.3 Use of Multifunctional Materials in MAVs for Improved Aeroelastic
performances

The objective is to develop multifunctional wing for MAV to achieve required trim conditions
through adaptive trailing edge. In this project, we have successfully employed Macro Fiber
Composite (MFC) actuators on NAL developed BK MAV to realize the hingeless control
surface concept through a trailing edge morphing. Numerical analysis, followed by
experimental validation have confirmed that the trailing edge morphing technique is useful
for achieving the aerodynamic trim conditions for takeoff, level flight etc. The morphed
surface can be deployed as elevators (symmetric) and for ailerons (anti-symmetric) in flight
for different flight manoeuvres (Figure 7).


Fig.7: Multifunctional structural analysis and testing for trimming (upward and downward
continuous camber change)

1A.4 Adaptive Aeroelastic Structures
A 3kg UAV is being designed with suitable wing and tilt rotor concept (Fig.8), which will have
vertical takeoff as well as landing capability on the runway. Trailing edge morphing, adaptive
winglet and adaptive tail structures are planned. In the first phase, a conventional vehicle will
be fabricated, wind tunnel tested and flight demonstrated and subsequently active
aeroelastic structures will be integrated to study morphing wing and adaptive tail concept.

Fig.8: Conceptual design of tilt rotor and structural wing design

A generalized unsteady air load approximation procedure using matrix polynomial approach
has been developed. This method addresses a better fit for higher order modes (Fig.9) than
other techniques for aeroservoelastic problems in state space domain

Fig.9: Unsteady air load approximation using Matrix polynomials approximation
for 4th & 5th Modes

1B. Impact and Structural Crashworthiness Group (ISCG)
1B1. Bird strike Studies: Correlation of test and analysis using synthetic and
real birds

In the present study characterization of synthetic bird with that of the real bird and the bird
material models available in the explicit Finite Element (FE)-Codes used in the simulation
are studied. Attempt is made to approximately replicate the behaviour of real bird to that of
the synthetic bird by following various processes of synthetic bird preparation procedures for
impact testing and to carry out bird simulation using the material models like Smooth Particle
Hydrodynamics (SPH). Test analysis correlation studies were performed by carrying out a
series of bird strike test using both synthetic bird and real bird by impacting against rigid
targets and on a 1.2mm thick aluminium flat panel at the same velocity and also by
validating the simulation results

Bird impact testing is done using synthetic bird and with the real bird at an impact velocity of
95m/s at the centre of the flat panel. The impact event is captured using the high speed
camera at 5000fps. The impact velocity is measured both using the laser sensor output in
the control panel and from the High Speed Video (HSV) using the image processing
software tool. The sequence of the impact event both from testing and through simulation
results is shown in Fig.10.

Time
(ms)
Real Bird Synthetic Bird FE Simulation
0.0

1.0

2.0

3.0

4.0

5.0

6.0

7.0

Fig. 10. Image sequence of bird strike event for real/synthetic bird and simulation
bird model at every milli seacond

The impact tested panel both from the real bird and the synthetic bird testing is removed
from the test fixture. The permanent deformation contour of the flat panel measured at every
10mm interval throughout the plane is captured using the high precision coordinate
measuring machine (CMM). These coordinates are plotted using the pre-processing tool. It
was found there is a good correlation of the complete deformation contour and the maximum
permanent plastic deformation between the actual, synthetic bird and the FE simulation as
can be seen in Fig.11.


(a) Deformed shape of the impact tested panels Deformed shape from
simulation

(b) Real Bird Deformation contour obtained from CMM machine(Max plastic
Deformation of 53.92mm is observed)

(c) Synthetic bird Deformation contour obtained from CMM machine (Max plastic
Permanent Deformation of 55.87mm is observed)

(d) SPH Bird Deformation - FE Simulation (Max plastic Permanent Deformation of
58.0mm is observed after 20ms)
Fig.11. Deformed shape of the aluminium panel from test and simulation

1B2. Bird strike Studies: Bird strike studies on composite/metal panels
Bird strike tests using synthetic bird and real chicken were conducted on Aluminium 2024-T3
panels of thickness 1.2mm and equivalent composite panels. The weight of the bird was 4
pounds and the velocities were in the range of 80-120m/s. High speed images were taken of
the event and the velocities of the bird was found out using image processing software. It
was observed that penetration velocity range for 1.2mm thick Aluminium 2024-T3 panel is
117 to 120m/s. The composite panels penetrated at even much lower velocities. Synthetic
bird and real chicken gave the same velocity range for the penetration.



1B3. Quasi-static and Low velocity impact studies on gelatin/PMB composite material
Characterization of the Gelatin/Phenolic Microballoon (PMB) composite at quasi static and
low velocity impact were carried out with higher water contents (1g:1w, 1g:1.5w,1g:2w). The
physical properties like density, viscoelastic behavior and energy absorption of Organic
Gelatin/ (PMB) composite was studied with respect to content of Phenolic Microballoon and
water content. The physical properties like stiffness and viscous behavior of the composite
were studied through stress strain tests at different strain rates (1mm/min 10mm/min
100mm/min and 900mm/min). Low velocity impact tests were conducted to check the energy
absorption of gelatin. The low velocity impact tests show that gelatin is a good energy
absorber and its energy absorption capability is influenced by porosity (PMB content).

1B4. Installation and commissioning of the Forward Velocity Sled test facility
A bungee operated forward velocity deceleration sled which can generate deceleration
pulses as required by FAR 23.562 / 25.562 for aircraft seat qualification testing and for
studies on occupant safety for both aerospace and automotive sector is built successfully.
The installation and commissioning of the sled is completed and tested for FAR pulses. The
sled is first of its kind in the country. The sled is designed for a maximum speed of 60 Kmph
and with impact mass of 2200Kg (1200 kg sled + 1000 kg payload). The acceptance tests
were carried out to generate the FAR 25.562 crash pulse. Fig.12 shows the image of sled
test facility commissioned at Impact and Crashworthiness Research Facility of STTD.

The preliminary trials are being carried out using sled test facility for the evaluation of crash
pulses by mounting automotive seat and a human-sac dummy. The tests are also being
carried out by adding a simple retro-fit Velcro based seat belt for the human-sac dummy.
The purpose of the tests is to see the behaviour of the dummy during the crash event and
evaluation of the simple retro-fit Velcro based seat belt. Fig.13 shows the human-sac dummy
on the sled with and without seat belt.















Fig.12.Sled test facility
Fig.13 Sac dummy with and without seat belt

1C. Fatigue and Structural Integrity Group (FSIG)
1C1. Carbon fiber composite IM7/ Bismaleimide:
As a part of design data generation and derivation of design allowable, IM7/ Bismaleimide
CFC was tested in RT and high temperature conditions. Over 10 different types of
mechanical tests were conducted in RT and 180
0
C. All the tests were performed following
their respective ASTM standards. Over 150 numbers of tests are planned. Testing and
evaluation of mechanical properties are underway

Fatigue behaviour of indigenous aluminum alloys:

As a part of certification testing, indigenous aluminum alloys developed by DRDO are being
tested to determine their tensile and fatigue properties. Aluminum alloy sheet specimens of
2000, 5000 and 6000 series were prepared and tested following their respective ASTM
standards. S-N curves generated were compared with MIL standards. Further work on
fatigue testing and evaluation is underway.

Evaluation of composite panels under static and fatigue loads:

The objectives of the study are to evaluate the tensile and fatigue behaviour of undamaged
CFC panel, panel with central hole and a repaired panel. Also, the panels fabricated with
honeycomb core and CFC face sheets having similar conditions such as healthy, damaged
and repaired were tested under four point bend loading arrangements to evaluate their
flexural behaviour. Photographs showing the tensile testing set-up for CFC panels are
shown in Fig.14. All the CFC panels were fabricated by ACD. The required strain gages
were bonded and the tests were conducted. The load, strain and deflection measurements
were acquired through data acquisition system. Further work on testing and evaluation of
these panels is underway.


(a) Undamaged (b) Damaged (central hole) (c) Repaired
Fig. 14. Photographs showing experimental setup for tensile testing
of CFC panels

Mechanical testing support services:

Mechanical testing and evaluation of metallic and composite materials was provided to
various other divisions of NAL as well as to outside organizations such as HAL. Tensile
properties of Al alloys for C-CADD, Testing support for failure analysis group of Materials
Science Division, CAI and open hole compression tests for thermoplastic composites for
ACD, Fracture toughness testing and evaluation of Al alloys for HAL etc. were carried out.

Research and Development (R&D) Activities:

The research and developmental work continued mainly on fatigue behaviour of polymer
composites. The experimental evaluation of off-axis fatigue behaviour, prediction of fatigue
life under service loads, Mode I delaminations behaviour under spectrum loads, FE analysis
of composite panels and comparison with experimental work etc. were carried out.
Off-axis fatigue behavior of CFC IMA/ M21:
The fatigue life of a QI and cross-ply CFC under an arbitrary loading angle was estimated
from the knowledge of fatigue properties of unidirectional (UD) laminate. IMA/M21 carbon
fiber composite UD laminates were fabricated following standard autoclave process.
Fatigue test specimens were cut from this laminate so that the fiber to loading axis angle
varied from 0
0
to 90
0
. Static tensile tests were conducted to determine the tensile properties
at various off-axis loads. Fatigue tests were conducted to determine S-N curves for the
material at various off-axis loading angles (Fig. 15). All the tests were conducted at R =0.1
with a sinusoidal waveform at 3 Hz. Increasing the off-axis angle was observed to decrease
the fatigue life. Analytical equations along with the S-N data generated at various angles
was used to predict the fatigue life of a quasi-isotropic laminate and compared with
experimental results (Fig.16). Further, fatigue life of a cross-ply laminate loaded at an
arbitrary loading angle was determined.



Fig. 15. Off-axis fatigue behaviour of IMA/
M21 CFC
Fig.16. Comparison of predicted and experimental
fatigue life of QI laminate of IMA/M21 CFC

Mode I delamination onset under spectrum loads:
Standard double cantilever beam (DCB) test specimens of a unidirectional IMA/M21 carbon
fiber composite were fabricated using standard autoclave process. A teflon insert of 30
thickness was used to create delamination at the mid plane. Fracture toughness tests were
conducted following ASTM test standard specification to estimate the toughness. Based on
the load-displacement data obtained during the fracture toughness test, constant amplitude
fatigue tests at various maximum displacements were conducted to determine the number of
cycles required for onset of delamination growth. All the tests were conducted in a servo-
hydraulic test machine under displacement control mode. A photograph of the test set-up is
shown in Fig. 17. The onset was determined by monitoring the compliance of the specimen
during fatigue test. As per ASTM test standard specification, the onset of growth was
considered to be corresponding to 5% deviation from the initial compliance. Fatigue tests
were carried out to determine GmaxNonset plot at two different stress ratios, R = 0.0 and 0.5.
Increasing the stress ratio was observed to increase the onset life. The GmaxNonset data was
then fit to empirical equation and used to construct a constant onset life diagram (COLD)
(Fig.18) which is useful in prediction of onset behaviour under spectrum loads. Further
experimental work is underway to validate predicted onset fatigue life under spectrum loads.



Fig. 17. A photograph of test set-up for mode I
delaminations studies
Fig. 18. Constant onset life diagram for mode I
delamination of IMA/M21 CFC
Spectrum fatigue life of a nanocomposite:
A thermosetting epoxy polymer was modified by incorporating 10 wt.% of silica nanoparticles
which were well dispersed in the polymer. Two different glass-fiber reinforced-plastic (GFRP)
composite laminates were prepared to give: (i) a GFRP composite with an unmodified
epoxy-matrix (termed GFRP-neat), and (ii) a GFRP composite with a silica-nanoparticle
modified epoxy-matrix (termed GFRP-nano). Fatigue tests were undertaken employing a
standard wind-turbine spectrum-load sequence, WISPERX, shown in Fig. 19. The fatigue
life of the GFRP-nano composite was about four times longer than that of the GFRP-neat
composite (Fig. 20). This was reflected in (i) the rate of degradation of the stiffness of the
composite and (ii) the development of matrix cracking, both being more severe in the GFRP-
neat composite, compared to the GFRP-nano composite. The underlying mechanisms for
the observed improvement in the spectrum fatigue life of the GFRP-nano composite are
discussed. The spectrum fatigue life was predicted following a standard procedure and a
good correlation was observed between the predicted and experimental results.


Fig.19: Standard WISPERX load sequence Fig.20. Fatigue life of composites under
WISPERX load sequence
1D. Computational Mechanics and Simulation Group (CMSG)

Structural Design and Analysis support for AMCA Version 3B-08
The AMCA Version 3B-08 structural design, analysis and size optimization is carried out for
all critical symmetric and un-symmetric load cases. For the convenience of manufacturing
and system installation the fuselage has been divided into three parts viz. Front Fuselage,
Middle Fuselage and Rear Fuselage as shown in Fig.20. Joining of two parts will be with
continuous fastening during sub assembly stage. Longerons and stringers will not be spliced
at the interface of front, middle and rear fuselage location. Wing attached to the fuselage
bulkheads at six locations consists two shear and four bending attachment. The boom
structure is integral with fuselage and disconnects from fuselage engine rear attachment
bulkhead which is over hang. Boom structure supports Vertical and Horizontal tail
components. Weapon bay consist central shear wall with box section for supporting bottom
doors. Vertical tail attached at three locations, two bending with one shear attachments. H T
shaft pivot located in overhang portion of the boom and two Engine attachment bulkheads
are provided in the rear fuselage. Bulkheads and longerons are provided in the fuselage to
divide skin panels. All bulkheads are distributed at 330 to 350 mm spacing. Fifteen
longerons have been introduced and out of these three are continuous from nose to tip and
two are continuous along fuselage side shear walls. All longerons are effective for taking
bending loads. Local skin stringers will be introduced to break the panels based on detailed
stress analysis. T sections for top and channel section for bottom are used for continuous
main longerons. Segment longerons of L sections are used at top and bottom of shear wall
and boom. Bulkhead frames are attached to the fuselage skin by riveting bulkhead flanges
with skin and Longeron flanges are attached to the skin with rivets. Loaded bulkheads are
100
150
200
250
300
350
1.E-01 1.E+00 1.E+01 1.E+02 1.E+03
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Number of Blocks, N
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Expt.-GFRP-neat
Expt.-GFRP-nano
Pred.-GFRP-neat
Pred.-GFRP-nano
provided in the fuselage to support NLG, wing, MLG, VT, HT and engine components which
are all flanged I sections with stiffened web. Intermediate bulkheads are of one sided flanged
sections (channel) distributed along the fuselage span to divide skin panels. Booms are not
connected with the main fuselage beyond engine rear mount bulkhead. Specific areas like
cockpit well, MLG cutout and engine door area schemes are studied. Highly stressed area in
the engine duct will be minimized by the introduction of shear web between fuselage skin
and engine duct.

Finite element models are built separately for each of the fuselage segments (front, center &
rear fuselage) and then integrated to have full fuselage finite element model. Finite element
models are built using the tool Altair-Hypermesh which is finite element modeling & analysis
results post processing software. Static stress analysis of the entire fuselage for the
specified critical flight load cases is carried out using MSC/Nastran which is a Finite Element
Analysis (FEA) solver. Initially, fuselage has been sized based on the experience, design
considerations and manufacturability issues. Structural (size) optimization of the fuselage for
the specified critical flight load cases is carried out with an objective of mass minimization
based on strength constraints. Layout of fuselage, finite element model and optimized
thickness models are shown in Fig.21.

The preliminary design, finite element analysis and optimisation studies of composite vertical
tail and horizontal tail has been carried out for multi-spar construction and rudder multi-rib
construction for four critical load cases (Mach 0.9 and 1.3, trimmed and untrimmed
cases).The preliminary design, finite element analysis and optimisation studies of AMCA
horizontal tail torque shaft has been carried out for the critical load case with 3 different
materials. Vertical tail (VT) and Horizontal tail (HT) configuration, finite element models and
horizontal tail torque shaft model are shown in Fig.22.


An approach for flutter prediction of aircraft structures in time domain using
dynamic aeroelastic response analysis solver of NASTRAN

The present work presents an approach for flutter prediction of aircraft structures in time
domain using NASTRAN. Here, the dynamic aeroelastic response module of MSC Nastran
is used to predict the flutter velocity of a swept back cantilevered plate in different flow
regime. The finite element structural analysis of plate is performed using Nastran and the
dynamic characteristics are compared with the experimental results. The aerodynamic
model of the plate is done using doublet lattice method to predict the aerodynamic loads
over the plate. The flutter analysis is carried out using two approaches: (i) Applying a
discrete gust over the plate and (ii) Applying an impulse load at the tip of plate (Fig.23). Both
the analyses are carried out at different velocities under sea-level conditions and the time
histories of different responses at the tip of the plate are studied. The flutter velocity of the
plate is then identified from the obtained responses.

Flutter prediction of swept wing like structures in time domain using fluid
structure coupling through 3D panel method
The present work deals with the aeroelastic behaviour of swept wing like structures. Here, a
typical swept wing with arbitrary cross section is considered and modeled as a cantilever
beam. A general Timoshenko beam theory is used to model the beam which takes into
account both transverse shear effects and dynamical coupling between bending and torsion
due to the fact that mass centre and shear centre do not coincide. The aerodynamic loads
over the wing for various deformed positions are calculated using doublet lattice based 3D
panel method. A FORTRAN code is developed to couple the aerodynamic and structural
dynamic solvers in time domain. The coupled fluid structure solver computes the aeroelastic















Fig.20: Fuselage layout with Internal Members













Fig.21a: Finite Element Model of Fuselage (without skin)






Figs.21b: Fuselage Optimum Element Thickness (mm) Contour Plot












Figs.22: AMCA a) Vertical Tail, b) H T loads and boundary condition c) Sectional view and
FE Model of H T d) Horizontal tail torque shaft



(a) V = 305.7 m/s (b) V = 305.71 m/s (c) V = 305.73 m/s
Fig.23: Time history of wing tip responses due to the impulse load applied at the tip plate at
different flow velocities

response in the subsonic flow regime, using Newmarks algorithm with suitable initial
conditions. The results of free vibration and aeroelastic response of wing are also compared
with the closed form solutions. The effect of bending rigidity and torsional rigidity on the
frequency and flutter speed of the wing are studied. Further, the effect of sweep angle on the
flutter speed of wing is also discussed.

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Steady flow analysis over vertical fins of AMCA aircraft in transonic regime
using Euler based CFD solver

The aim of this work is to perform steady flow analysis over twin vertical fins of AMCA
aircraft in the transonic regime using the high fidelity CFD solver. Here, the flow analysis is
carried out using inviscid flow assumptions at a free stream Mach number of 0.9. Various
parameters such as pressure and Mach distributions on the surface of fin and fuselage and
Cp distribution at various sections of fin are studied. Further, the steady loads on the fin are
also evaluated. It can be observed that a large inward force Fy acts on the fin due to the
presence of the tunnel (or passage) formed by both the vertical fins. Since there exists a
shock near the rear end of the fin-fuselage junction (that has a wedge shaped structure), a
new geometric model is generated by filling the wedge portion. Similar steady flow analysis
is carried out for the newly generated model. The results indicate that the location of the
shock on the fin surface remains the same. Thus it can be concluded that the location of
shock is not due to the presence of wedge that exists in the original design.

(a) CFD Mesh (b) Pressure contours (c) Mach contours
Fig. 24a: Pressure and Mach contours on the fin and fuselage surfaces of AMCA aircraft

(a) fin root section (b) fin mid section (c) fin tip section

Fig. 24b: Comparison of Cp distribution at the root, mid and tip sections of the fin with two
different meshes

Fluid structure interaction analysis of HIRENASD wing in time domain using
coupled CSD-CFD solver

The aim of this work is to establish a computational procedure to perform the FSI analysis of
the High Reynolds Number Aero-Structural Dynamics (HIRENASD) wing using the high
fidelity CFD solver (Fig.25). First, the structural dynamic analysis of the wing is performed
using the ABAQUS structural solver and the results of frequencies and mode shapes are
validated with the experimental results. Then, the steady flow analysis over the wing and FSI
analysis of flexible wing under steady flow is carried out at M = 0.8 and Re = 23.5 million. It
is found that when compared to the steady flow analysis results, static FSI analysis results
are very close to the experimental results. Further, the unsteady flow analysis over wing
under forced oscillation with various modes is performed to get the time histories of force
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C
p
)
Location (m)
Mesh - I
Mesh - II
-2.5
-2.3
-2.1
-1.9
-1.7
-1.5
-1.3
-1.1
-0.9
-0.7
-0.5
14.5 15 15.5 16 16.5
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

C
o
e
f
f
i
c
i
e
n
t

(
C
p
)
Location (m)
Mesh - I
Mesh - II
and moment coefficients at M = 0.8 and Re = 23.5 million. This is followed by the dynamic
FSI analysis of flexible wing. The nature of dynamic response is found to be converging
indicating a stable system. This may be due to the fact that the present wing material has
very high stiffness values (close to steel) which results in large difference between the
bending and torsion frequencies.

(a) CFD Mesh (b) Pressure contours (c) density contours
Fig. 25a: Distribution of pressure and density over HIRENASD rigid wing for = 0 with M
= 0.8, Re = 23.5 x 10
6
and q/E = 0.48 x 10
-6



(a) wing root section (b) wing mid section (c) wing tip section
Fig. 25b: Comparison of pressure coefficients between rigid and flexible HIRENASD wing with
experiments at various span wise stations for = 0.0, M = 0.8, Re = 23.5 x 10
6
and
q/E = 0.48 x 10
-6



(a) displacements (b) force coefficients
Fig. 25c: Time histories of displacements and force coefficients for the HIRENASD wing at M
= 0.8, = 2.8 and Vf = 0.0302


Structural layout and size optimization studies on a trapezoidal wing box like
structure

Structural optimization is an essential part of aircraft structural design and multidisciplinary
design optimization process. The objective of this work is to setup a process that enables the
automation of the structural layout and size optimization of wing box like structures. For this
purpose, a trapezoidal wing box like structure is considered as a candidate for optimization
satisfying the strength and buckling criteria, to arrive at an optimum structural layout (rib
-1.0
-0.5
0
0.5
1.0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Experiment
AEC
Steady-Rigid
x/c
C
p
-1.0
-0.5
0
0.5
1.0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Experiment
AEC
Steady-Rigid
x/c
C
p
-1.0
-0.5
0
0.5
1.0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0
Experiment
AEC
Steady-Rigid
x/c
C
p
-0.001
0.001
0.003
0.005
0.007
0.009
0.011
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
Tip Leading Edge
Tip Trailing Edge
Time (s)
W
i
n
g
T
i
p
D
i
s
p
l
a
c
e
m
e
n
t
(
m
)
-0.16
-0.12
-0.08
-0.04
0
0.04
0.08
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5
C
L
C
M
Time (s)
F
o
r
c
e
a
n
d
M
o
m
e
n
t
C
o
e
f
f
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c
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t
s
positions) and sizing (skin/panel thicknesses) by minimization of structural mass or
maximization of buckling load. Two optimization process flows are developed for the
structural layout and size optimization of multi-rib trapezoidal box configuration subjected to
elliptical load distribution. One of the optimization process flows is shown in Fig.26. The
number of ribs are varied from one to five in a box with inter-rib panel aspect ratio (a/b) > 1.0
and from one to ten in the box with inter-rib panel aspect ratio (a/b) < 1.0. To implement the
optimization process flows, CAD and FEA software are integrated with the help of process
integration and design optimization software (Isight), which enables the automated and
seamless work flow between CAD and FE modules. Mass minimization as an objective
function is very effective while carrying out sizing optimization and the same is not true for
layout optimization as mass is not sensitive to the rib position for a wing box with given
number of ribs. Nonetheless, it is observed that for the wing box with inter-rib panel aspect
ratio (a/b) < 1.0, variation in rib position played somewhat feeble role in enhancing the
buckling load. However, the combination of rib positions and inter-rib panel thicknesses as
design variables is the most effective in both the optimization cases i.e. mass minimization
as well as buckling load maximization of trapezoidal wing box like structures.



Fig.26: Structural layout and size optimization process of trapezoidal wing box like structure

Demonstration of simulation data management in SLM: Structural optimization
framework using Isight

Apart from automating the simulation processes, the simulation scenarios and data needs to
be securely stored and should be traceable and accessible. This could be possible with the
software like SIMULIA SLM combined with ENOVIA technology. The present study is meant
for understanding and utilizing the Dassault Systems (ENOVIA, SIMULIA) team work on
SLM-Isight integration at NAL for Proof of Concept (POC). It may be noted here that this
study is carried out with the support from Technical Specialist-SLM, Dassault Systems,
India. The objective of this study is to demonstrate the simulation data management of
structural optimization framework using Isight in Simulation Lifecycle Management (SLM) of
SIMULIA. In this regard, structural layout and size optimization of trapezoidal box structure is
considered as a case study for simulation data management. Parametric CAD model
generation (CATIA), automatic finite element (FE) mesh generation script file (HyperMesh)
for FE model generation with analysis deck and finite element analyzer (MSC Nastran) are
integrated using Isight for the optimization framework of structural layout and size
optimization of trapezoidal box structure. The above optimization framework in Isight (sim-
flow) is modified by adding XML parser and Data exchangers, which transfer the input and
output parameter values between Isight and SLM, Fig. 27a. The modified Isight sim-flow is
uploaded along with required input data to SLM and then a template is created for Isight
based optimization framework in SLM. By using this template, simulations are carried out for
Isight based optimization framework in SLM leading to structural optimization of trapezoidal
box structure. And, the result files, consisting of Isight design cycles information along with
optimized configuration of trapezoidal box structures CAD model, FE model and FE analysis
result, are sent to the SLM, Fig. 27b. Hence, this exercise demonstrates the capability of
SLM of SIMULIA for the simulation data management of Isight based structural optimization
frameworks.


Fig. 27a: Structural optimization framework of trapezoidal box structure using Isight for SLM




Fig. 27b: Simulation data (input and results) of structural optimization
framework of trapezoidal box structure in SLM
Fatigue life prediction of plate with multiple stress concentration zones using
FEM
Present study discusses the available analytical fatigue life prediction procedures and their
application to estimate the fatigue life of plates having single and multiple stress
concentration zones without and with pre-existing cracks. First, finite element stress analysis
of plates with single and multiple (three) circular holes is carried out to identify the stress
concentration zones. Then, by taking the finite element stress analysis response as input,
stress-life/strain-life approaches are used to estimate the fatigue life of plates having holes
without pre-existing cracks. Next, fatigue crack propagation life of plates having holes with
pre-existing cracks is estimated using crack growth laws in conjunction with finite element
based fracture mechanics analysis. For example, in a plate having three holes arranged
perpendicular to the load direction and fixed geometry (Fig.28a), the stress concentration will
increase significantly when compared to single hole stress concentration and consequently
fatigue life of the plate (without pre-existing crack) decreases significantly. Further, in a plate
having three holes arranged perpendicular to the load direction and pre-existing crack,
cumulative fatigue crack propagation life is estimated in progressive manner (Fig.28b) i.e.
monitoring the crack propagation from inner-hole-edge to outer-hole-inner-edge and then
from outer-hole-outer-edge to plate edge.



Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)
In modern aircraft design, development, manufacture and support, the engineering
processes are to be managed under strict configuration control with model based definition
and on concurrent engineering basis, covering parallel processing of design, prototyping,
process design and maintenance design in order to reduce time to market on one hand and
ensure that all aspects are taken into account early in design cycle. This is possible only by
an Integrated Digital Environment. A highly interoperable CAD/CAE/CIM system called End
to End PLM is organized to enable wide collaboration between widely separated engineering
communities using diverse computing systems. The system ensures true concurrency.
Further the practice of loft and physical mock up based aircraft design is to be replaced by
the more efficient Digital Mock Up (DMU) based engineering, where all design engineers will
add their portion of the product design on a visual DMU in Virtual reality, under configuration
control. The DMU itself is created in a CAD/CAE/CIM neutral, light weight format to enable
diverse Engineering groups to work and build the aircraft in virtual environment and thus
reduce reengineering, development time and cost. There are many PLM solutions that can
be added on to the core technology of PLM. There are many commercial PLM software tools
available today and few of them being used by Aerospace industries across the world for
their aircraft development programmes.
As part of the PLM software tool evaluation process at the division, pilot project is initiated
with Dassault Systmes (DS) using the tool ENOVIA which is fully integrated with design,
engineering and analysis solutions from Dassault Systms and other software vendors.
Fig. 28a: Plate with three holes arranged
perpendicular to load direction.
Fig. 28b: Fatigue crack propagation life of
plate with three holes (R = 0.1)
Team of scientists from the division has been formed to take part in the software evaluation
process. Typical procedures being followed covering various processes like customer
enquiry, project proposal and project execution with tight integration of CAD and CAE tools
have been proposed for the pilot project. Various CAD and CAE tools (CATIA, Hypermesh,
MSC/Nastran, Isight) being practiced are considered to be part of the evaluation process to
verify the integration with the PLM tool. DS team is carrying out the pilot project at the
division by having interaction with the team identified from the division and this will be
followed by demonstration of the same illustrating the capabilities and usage of the tool
ENOVIA.

Studies on embedded delamination and debond in stiffened composite panels
Analytical solution for buckling load of a laminated composite plate containing embedded
delamination is determined. The plate is subjected to uniaxial uniform compressive load and
clamped on the loading edges. The effect of crack size and fiber orientation on the buckling
load is determined analytically. Using the principle of minimum elastic potential of the plate in
the buckled state and boundary & continuity conditions, an explicit representation for the
buckling load is determined in a delaminated plate. Using Von-Karman non-linear strain-
displacement relations and Ritz method an analytical methodology for the calculation of
strain energy release rate is developed and SERR is calculated for a composite delaminated
plate. Thickness dependent stress intensity factor in an isotropic plate containing crack
determined analytically and verified with finite element results.

1E. Mechanical Systems Design Group
Ejector Pump Performance Assessment
Ejector pumps are secondary boost pumps in the aircraft fuel system.They maintain 100%
supply at boost or primary pump inlet (FAA Chapter 14) and scavenges the fuel from the
remote locations of the tank. In small aircrafts like CRJ 200, ejectors are primary boost
pumps no electric or mechanical boost pumps exist. Ejectors are more reliable and safer in
operation as there are no moving parts. Major disadvantage of ejector pumps is low in
efficiency (25-30%). To analyze the performance of ejector a test rig with scheme shown in
Fig.29 is proposed and the rig is under commisioning. Simulation model will be built for the
ejector and will be benchmarked with test results and further design studies will be carried
on the simulation model

Fig.29a: Test rig schematic of Ejector pump 29b: Ejector Test rig



Cabin Pressure Control System for Transport Aircraft
Cabin pressure control system works in conjunction with environmental control system to
maintain and regulate pressure within the aircraft cabin as per design intent. A study was
carried out to identify the system architecture, design considerations, weight estimation,
system interfaces, testing, integration and development methodology as well as safety and
reliability aspects to be considered within the framework of FAR-25 regulations to be
employed while deploying a transport aircraft.

Study of Flapping Wing Mechanisms for Ornithopter Applications
Synthesis of flapping wing mechanism (ornithopters) for generating a figure-of-eight path
similar to humming bird morphology is a challenging task. A study has been carried out to
determine the potential mechanisms that generate figure-of-eight path. A novel spatial
mechanism based on simple planar four bar for generating spatial figure-of-eight path has
been synthesized and analyzed.

A planar four-bar mechanism can be used for generating various shapes of coupler curves
depending upon the linkages configuration. The figure-of-eight coupler curve is of particular
interest in the design of flapping wing mechanism for ornithopter. A sensitivity study has
been carried out to determine the effect of various parameters of the four-bar mechanism on
the f-o-8 coupler curve. A program has been developed to synthesize a four-bar mechanism
based on several design requirements, important being the minimum transmission angle and
mechanism bounding box requirements. A kinematic and dynamic analysis program has
also been developed to determine the velocity, acceleration, joint forces and torque required
to drive the mechanism. The results from the analysis were compared and validated using
the MSC/ADAMS model results.

Pressure loss estimation in the Bleed Flow Pipe line connecting between
Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) and Air turbine starter (ATS) of an Aircraft

Air Turbine engine Starter (ATS) runs with the high pressure air bled from Auxiliary Power
Unit (APU) compressor. The bleed air is supplied to ATS inlet through a pipe layout, which
leads to a permanent pressure loss due to pipe friction and angular bends. After the loss, the
pressure of bleed air should be always above the minimum required pressure of ATS inlet.
Pressure loss due to pipe friction and angular bends is estimated for a particular layout of
AMCA aircraft using both compressible and incompressible flow equations. Even though the
flow is in incompressible regime, pressure loss is estimated with both incompressible and
compressible flow equations to establish the methodology and results comparison. The
methodology to estimate bleed flow parameters at altitude condition is discussed in detail.
Apart from ground start, Military aircrafts will be restarted at certain altitudes as well in case
of any failure. The bleed pipe layout should be designed for minimum pressure losses at
altitude condition as well, which requires bleed flow conditions to be known at that particular
altitude (Fig.30).










Fig.30a: APU to ATS Bleed flow pipe Fig.30b: Incompressible and compressible
layout flow results comparison for the given pipe layout
2. ANALYSIS AND DESIGN ACTIVITIES

2A. Adaptive Aeroelastic Structures and Vibroacoustics

Vibroacoustic modeling / testing of fuselage under low, mid and high frequencies with
active/ passive solutions

In the present work, vibroacoustic modelling methodology for the simulation of noise
transmission into aircraft cabin of a segmented fuselage of 5m length is being developed.
The finite element model of the segmented fuselage structure, Fig.31 is made as a stiffened
structure; which includes structural members like bulkheads, stringers that add strength to
the aluminium skin (outer/inner) and the windows are modelled with acrylic material. Floor
board and luggage board is also considered in the model. Static analysis is carried out to
check the strength of the model by applying an internal cabin pressure of 12 psi and the
stresses are observed to be within the allowable limits. The cabin air is modelled as fluid
element with atmospheric properties.

Evaluation of Fiber Metal Laminate (FML) panels response under acoustic loadings, its
potential in sound transmission and effects of delamination on vibroacoustic performance is
evaluated. For this a FEM based impedance tube model is developed in ANSYS and
vibroacoustic analysis is subsequently carried out on aircraft panels. The numerical
impedance model, Fig.32, has been found suitable to simulate the VA behaviour of panels
made of different class of materials. From the study its found that the presence of
delamination in laminated/FML structures has effected the Sound Transmission Loss (STL)
and the local delamination modes influence the transmitted noise to get distributed with
nearby global modes, around its local frequency, Fig.33.


10-50 50-100 100-150 150-200 200-250 10-250
0
20
40
60
80
100
O
A
S
P
L

i
n

d
B
Frequency in Hz
AL
Composite
FML


Fig.32: Finite element model of the digital
impedance tube
Fig.31: Finite element model of
segmented fuselage
Fig.33: OASPL of different aircraft materials
Vibro-acoustic response and sound transmission loss analysis of functionally
graded plates
Functionally graded materials are a class of composite materials in which the material
properties vary continuously from one surface to another to achieve a desired functional
performance. Analytical studies were carried out on the vibro-acoustic and sound
transmission loss characteristics of Functionally Graded Material (FGM) plates using a
simple first order shear deformation theory. The material properties of the plate are assumed
to vary according to power law distribution of the constituent materials in terms of volume
fraction. The sound radiation due to sinusoidally varying point load, uniformly distributed load
and obliquely incident sound wave is computed by solving the Rayleigh integral with a
primitive numerical scheme. Displacement, velocity, acceleration, radiated sound power
level, radiated sound pressure level and radiation efficiency of FGM plate for varying power
law index are examined. The sound transmission loss of the FGM plate for several incidence
angles and varying power law index is studied in detail. It has been found that, the sound
power level increases monotonically with increase in power law index at lower frequency
range and a non-monotonic trend is appeared towards higher frequencies as shown in
Fig.34. Increased vibration and acoustic response is observed for ceramic-rich FGM plate at
higher frequency band; whereas a similar trend is seen for metal-rich FGM plate at lower
frequency band. The vibrations of lower order modes have made a significant contribution to
the radiated overall sound power in the complete frequency band. The radiation efficiency of
ceramic-rich FGM plate is noticed to be higher than that of metal and metal-rich FGM plates.
The transmission loss below the first resonance frequency is high for ceramic-rich FGM plate
and low for metal-rich FGM plate and further depends on the specific material property. A
typical STL plot of FGM plate is shown in Fig.35. The study has found that increased
transmission loss can be achieved at higher frequencies with metal-rich FGM plates. Several
practical applications are related to this formulation and study, specific to aerospace and
automobile industry where more usage of FGM plates is envisaged. It is possible to analyze
and optimize the vibro-acoustic behaviour of panels as an integral part of the design process
for improved sound transmission characteristics. The other applications of this study are
related to parameter optimization, sensitivity analysis and vibro-acoustic system
identification.
Fig.34: Sound power radiated by FGM plate under centrally Fig.35: Typical sound
transmission acting unit mechanical force loss plot of FGM


Multifunctional Composites
Structural Health Monitoring
Design and Development of Numerical and Experimental Schemes for Structural
Health Monitoring
Here we address the structural health monitoring through development of numerical and
experimental schemes. A 36-noded piezoelectric spectral plate element has been designed
and developed to model plate structures with surface-mounted piezoelectric transducers.
The developed element independently captures the kinematics of the layers of piezoelectric,
bonding and host structure (plate). The layer-wise kinematics is then coupled through
Lagrange multipliers and the element thus formulated has a diagonal mass matrix, which is a
basic requirement of any time integration scheme. Fig.36 shows the 36-noded piezoelectric
spectral element and Fig.37 shows the simulation of wave propagation through the plate
structure. Further, experimental schemes are developed to simultaneously identify the
transducer debond and structural damage. Structural damage shows a small increase in
damage index gradient, whereas larger reduction in damage index is observed when debond
occurs in the sensor. Fig.38 shows test set-up used for conducting the Lamb wave
experiment, with eight sensors distributed in the circular pattern and has different debond
types. The damage index, where the gradient change due to structural damage and sensor
debond are explicitly shown in Fig.39.


Fig.38 : 36 noded spectral element Fig.37: Propagating waves in a plate



Fig.38: Experimental test set-up
Fig.39: Damage index due to sensor debond
and structural damage

Finite element modeling of intra-plate in peninsular India

The orientation of maximum horizontal compressive stresses in the earths crust gives the
insight into the driving mechanisms of plate motion and intra-plate seismicity. In an attempt
to numerically model the maximum horizontal compressive stress distribution in peninsular
India, the Indo-Australian tectonic plate has been modelled by considering homogenous
material distribution. The benchmarking and validating of the procedure has been done on
Australian continent, for which the stress patterns are available in literatures. The finite
element model of the Indo-Australian plate with boundary conditions and external loading,
the displacement pattern of the plate, and the maximum horizontal compressive stress
directions in the Australian continent are shown in Figs.40 - 41, respectively. Further, the
compressive stress distribution in peninsular India, considering homogenous and
heterogeneous material properties on the plate is planned.

Fig. 40: CAD and Finite element model of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate with boundary
conditions and external forces


Fig. 41: Displacement pattern of the Indo-
Australian tectonic plate
Maximum horizontal stress directions
in Australian continent


2B: Whirl Flutter Analysis of Pusher Type Propeller- Necelle System of SARAS
PT1N using a 2 DOF Model

The objective of this work is to study the whirl flutter characteristics of SARAS PT1N engine
propeller system using an analytical procedure based on two-degree of freedom model
(pitch and yaw) (Fig.42). Here, the whirl flutter analysis is done using the data
(geometric/inertia/aerodynamic etc.) supplied by C-CADD and Ground Vibration Tests (GVT)
data given by GVT team. The experimental modal parameters used in the whirl flutter
analysis are the natural frequencies, mode shapes and modal damping for the engine-
propeller system. Results of whirl flutter analysis of SARAS PT1N engine-propeller system
are computed for two flight conditions, namely, sea level and 15000 ft. At each altitude, the
forward and backward whirl frequencies and the corresponding damping necessary for
stability boundary conditions are generated for different design speeds. From the results it is
noticed that the theoretical pitch damping is negative for all airspeed upto 195 m/s. It
indicates that the critical whirl flutter velocities of the engine-propeller system are much
higher than 1.2 VD at all the altitudes considered. A report has been published in the form of
NAL project document.





(a) Sea level (b) 15000 ft
Fig. 42: Variation of pitch damping (

g ) of SARAS PT1N engine propeller system for different
airspeed at sea level and 15000 ft

Reliability Analyses for SARAS PT1N

The PT1 aircraft being the first prototype aircraft of SARAS, the FHA and FTA were carried
out for all the systems. In order to overcome some of the deficiencies observed in PT1
aircraft, the aircraft has been modified in respect of engine, propeller, nacelle, stub wing,
flap-tracks, structural elements (VT, HT), U/C, Brake Management System, Environmental
Control System, Rudder, Flight Control System (FCS) etc and renamed as PT1N aircraft.
The System Safety and Reliability studies having been carried out both for PT1 and PT2
aircraft, the changes in terms of modifications carried out on PT1N aircraft have now been
analyzed for the impact and cascading effects on safety.

In view of the changes, it was considered fit to carry out the system safety assessment and
FTA of the FCS for the identified critical events from FHA, which are probable for PT1N
aircraft and its compliance to the safety requirements laid down as per FAR-23. Accordingly
the FHA and FTA of the flight control system of SARAS PT1N have been addressed. The
Failure Modes & Effects Analysis (FMEA) is carried out as a part of safety assessment
requirement as per ARP[1] provides an in-depth analysis at each LRU level with a view to
identify potential failures and their effects on the equipment, sub-system and at aircraft level.
FMEA of the flight control system has been carried out, Fig.43.

Fig.43: Schematic of Aileron Roll Control.
-0.08
-0.06
-0.04
-0.02
0
0.02
0.04
0 50 100 150 200 250
d
a
m
p
i
n
g

(
g

)
Velocity (m/s)
Forw
Back
-0.06
-0.04
-0.02
0
0.02
0.04
0 50 100 150 200 250
d
a
m
p
i
n
g

(
g

)
Velocity (m/s)
Forw
Back
The SARAS PT1N aircraft is an update of SARAS PT1 aircraft, wherein one of the major
modifications is the engine change from PT6A-66 to higher rated PT6A-67A engine of M/s
Pratt & Whitney, with a higher dimension propeller. To cater for the higher rated engine, the
mounting assembly has been augmented with additional trusses to interconnect yoke with L
and M frames. Thus, it was considered necessary to revisit for the identified critical events of
the FHA and to carry out the FTA for the engine and its interface systems on aircraft. FMEA
of the engine-aircraft interfaces has been carried out.

The Zonal Safety Analysis (ZSA) is one of the essential activities in the system safety
assessment process for any aircraft development programme. Despite layout studies and
engineering mock up studies, physical installation of system hardware as a whole is the one
addressed in the ZSA. It is therefore necessary that the system configuration for safety,
independency, absence of interference, case of maintenance and supportability are looked
for in detail when the system matures. The ZSA is invariably carried out during the
integration and installation phase. In view of the large scale changes carried out on PT1N
aircraft, it was considered fit to revisit ZSA as part of the system safety assessment.

The electrical system in SARAS aircraft plays a vital role for the functions of both power
generation and distribution. The PT1-N architecture is a partial update over the PT1. Though
the FHA for SARAS electrical system has been carried out earlier, in view of certain
additional elements being added the FHA has been revisited and the undesired events have
been identified, besides the FTA for the identified critical events. FMEA of the electrical
system has been carried.

Reliability Analyses for systems of AMCA.
The Loss of control (LOC) of Integrated Flight Control System (IFCS) is a catastrophic event
and it is customary to predict the quantitative probability (PLOC) and to derive the
redundancy levels. In order to maximize the performance, for the dictated PLOC as per
regulatory requirements, various options in terms of redundancy (for two cases viz.
quadruplex and triplex architecture) have been evaluated. The failure probabilities of aircraft
electrical and hydraulic systems have been obtained through an exclusive fault tree analysis
and used in the Probability Loss of Control (PLOC) calculations. The use of COTS
technology components have also been plugged in and the PLOC revisited for the triplex
architecture, having in-line monitoring provision, while there is no other change in respect of
rest of the interfacing sub systems, Fig.44.

Fig.44 : PLOC for AMCA (Mil-Based) 2/4 Quadruplex Architecture
The Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for the flight control system have been
carried out for the cases where it would affect the sub-systems and its functions on aircraft,
considering all possible failure modes of the components in the flight control systems. The
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for the Electrical System has been carried out.

The Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) for the hydraulic system have been carried
out for the cases where it would affect the sub-systems and its functions on aircraft,
considering all possible failure modes of the components in the hydraulic systems. The
Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) of the proposed Secondary Power System
(SPS) for Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)has been carried out. Additionally, in
order to identify the elements for design improvements, quantitative analysis to determine
Risk Priority Number (RPN) has been carried out.

A cascading failure, which is a low-probability high-consequence event, is a particular type
of common-mode failure in which a single event, not necessarily hazardous in itself, can
precipitate a series of other failures, which may endanger either the mission or safety of the
aircraft. In the initial stages of the program, the cascading failure analysis has been carried
out qualitatively for the inter-dependant systems through Cause-Mode Effect Analysis.


Dynamic and Flutter Analysis of SARAS PT1N Aircraft.

The dynamic and flutter characteristics for SARAS PT1N aircraft has been studied using
MSC/NASTRAN for two configurations namely the takeoff (30.4% MAC, 6700 kg) and
landing (29.6%MAC, 6206 kg) configurations. Doublet lattice method has been used to
estimate the unsteady air loads on the lifting surfaces and flutter analysis has been carried
out by P-K method. Flutter velocities and margins have been established for both the
configurations using the design control circuit stiffness and also by fine tuning the control
surface frequencies as obtained from GVT (Fig.45). Parametric studies were carried out to
study the effect of variation of the control circuit stiffness and mass balancing on the flutter
speed of aircraft. Additionally the flutter speeds have also been estimated using the
experimental modal parameters obtained from ground vibration tests and using doublet
lattice aerodynamics using NASTRAN. The detail analysis with the flutter speeds and
margins have been reported.
.

Fig.45: Structural and Aerodynamic Mesh of SARAS PT1N.
Flutter Analysis of an Utility Aircraft using Experimental Modal Parameters
and ZAERO
The flutter characteristics of an Utility aircraft for full fuel and empty fuel configuration has
been studied using ZAERO and experimentally obtained modal parameters. ZONA6
aerodynamics has been used to estimate the unsteady air loads on the lifting surfaces and
flutter analysis has been carried out by g-method (Fig.46). The detail analysis with the
flutter speeds and margins have been reported.


Fig.46 : Aerodynamic Model of Aircraft.
Flutter Analysis of a Typical Combat Aircraft using Experimental Modal
Parameters.

Flutter results for a typical light combat aircraft using GVT results have been evaluated using
equivalent finite element structural models in NASTRAN and experimental modal
parameters from GVT. Doublet lattice and ZONA51 aerodynamics have been used for
carrying out aero elastic flutter analysis. The flutter characteristics are evaluated for flight
conditions, namely at sea level, 5 km, 10 km and 15 km. The results are compared with
those obtained from flight flutter testing. The aircraft is free from flutter upto a Mach no. of
2.0 at altitudes of 10 km and 15 km.It has been noticed that the aircraft is free from flutter in
subsonic regime and at altitudes of 10 km and 15 km in supersonic regime, Fig.47.


Fig.47: Aerodynamic Model of Combat Aircraft.

Reliability analysis by Parallel Monte Carlo simulations using OpenMDAO
Reliability analysis is of significance as far as safe operation of an aircraft is concerned.
Structural reliability analysis quantifies the effects of uncertainties in the structure, which will
help in design of new structures as well as maintenance of the structures in service.
Reliability analyses on a benchmark wing structure and truss from literature and a wing-box
segment are done using Monte Carlo simulation. A python based software platform called
Open-MDAO has been used to generate randomized uncertain structural parameters to
update Nastran solver deck and set up Monte Carlo simulations. The probability of failure
has been determined based on the defined limit states for each structure. Each analysis in
Open-MDAO is configured to run the simulations in parallel to make use of multiple
processors.

Static Aeroelastic Loads Analysis of Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft
(AMCA)

This work describes the process of computation of the load distribution, on the aircraft, when
it is performing any particular manoeuvre. The load distribution considers the influence of the
aerodynamic pressures at the specified flight condition, the inertial parameters (due to a
specified mass distribution) and also the modification of the effective load distribution due to
aeroelasticity. The entire process of load computation has been established within the Finite
Element software, MSC/NASTRAN. The aerodynamic pressure distributions, for the present
exercise, have been computed using the Euler Based CFD Code, MGAERO. The initial FE
model, considered for this set of load computations, has been arrived at based on certain
preliminary calculations, empirical relations and experience. The Rigid Manoeuvre Loads
obtained (aero elasticity not considered) have been transferred to the Design Groups for a
more detailed Sizing and Stressing exercise. At the end of this exercise, a more accurately
sized aircraft structural model is available.

The load computation also describes the computation of the Aeroelastic Efficiencies,
associated with the various aerodynamic effects. The more accurately sized model, referred
above, is used for these computations. The efficiency parameter is a measure of the stiffness
of the aircraft, Fig.48.


Fig.48: Finite Element Model and Aeromesh

Optimization of isotropic cylindrical shells using semi analytical approach for
gradients
In the present work, single objective optimization of isotropic shell structures are studied
using semi analytical gradient based Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) approach.
First, the structural static and dynamic analyses are carried out using a four noded shell
element based on degenerated shell theory. The static and dynamic sensitivity analyses are
performed using both Semi-Analytical (SA) and Finite Difference (FD) methods by treating
the thickness of shell as design variables. Both uniform and strip wise variations in thickness
are considered in the formulation. A special attention is given on the accuracy of sensitivity
calculations and performances of each method. Further, the optimization problem is
formulated as single objective, to minimize the weight of the shell with uniform and strip wise
variations in the thickness subjected to maximum displacement and natural frequency
constraints. The optimal solutions are obtained by integrating the finite element method,
sensitivity analysis and sequential quadratic programming method. Numerical studies are
carried out to get the optimal thickness for shells under various boundary conditions. The
effect of uniform, strip wise variation in thickness on the optimum design of shells is also
studied. A report has been published in the form of NAL technical memorandum /1/.

2C. Layout, Preliminary Landing Gear Design of the Advanced Medium Combat
Aircraft (AMCA)
Layout and Preliminary design of Main Landing Gear (MLG) has been carried out for the
Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) as per MIL-A-8862 load requirements. (Fig.49).
Positioning of the main landing gear with respect to centre of gravity of the aircraft, and the
height of main landing gear have been determined from considerations of stability and
ground clearance. Single stage oleo-pneumatic telescopic shock absorber has been adopted
for absorbing dynamic loads (fig.50). The tyre selection has been carried out based on the
induced static loads, dynamic loads and brake energies requirement. Extension-retraction
kinematics has been designed to suit the bay volume requirements and sustain landing and
ground loads. The attachment loads have been estimated using MSC/ADAMS software.
Preliminary sizing of the landing gear components has been carried out based on critical
Landing and ground handling cases. The required air volumes for the shock absorber has
been estimated based on the maximum dynamic loads.

Fig.49: Details of MLG Spatial Kinematics

Design and Development of Ultra High Pressure System for Food Preservation
Technology
An ultra high pressure system for Food Technology Research Applications has been
designed and developed by CSIR-NAL for Central Food Technological Research Institute
(CSIR-CFTRI), Mysore. The Ultra High Pressure System consists of a water compatible
6900 bar (690 MPa) capacity ultra high pressure pumping unit and a 4000 bar (400 MPa)
capacity water compatible high pressure chamber. The ultra high pressure water pumping
unit is basically an air operated system. The detailed technical specifications of the pumping
unit and the corresponding system level design are carried out by NAL.

0
100000
200000
300000
400000
500000
600000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
L
o
a
d
,

N
Deflection, mm
Load Vs
Fig.50: Air Curves for Shock Absorber
Design and Development of Ultra High Pressure System for Food Preservation
Technology
An ultra high pressure system for Food Technology Research Applications has been
designed and developed by CSIR-NAL for Central Food Technological Research Institute
(CSIR-CFTRI), Mysore. The Ultra High Pressure System consists of a water compatible
6900 bar (690 MPa) capacity ultra high pressure pumping unit and a 4000 bar (400 MPa)
capacity water compatible high pressure chamber. The ultra high pressure water pumping
unit is basically an air operated system. The detailed technical specifications of the pumping
unit and the corresponding system level design are carried out by NAL.

The high pressure chamber consists of a threaded end cap and a mono block cylinder with a
bore of 55 mm internal diameter with approximately 1 litre working volume. The material of
the high pressure chamber is Maraging steel MDN-250 (Fig.51). Preliminary design of the
high pressure chamber, detailed Strength of materials design, Finite Element Analysis,
validation of the Chamber design with respect to ASME BPVC, detailed drawings, chamber
manufacturing process specifications are carried out by NAL. The high pressure chamber
along with the ultra high pressure pumping unit has been successfully installed and
commissioned at CFTRI, Mysore. Inspection and testing of the high pressure system have
been carried out and the operation and performance of the system are found to be
satisfactory.

The end users have conducted more than 100 successful high pressure studies on the food
specimens for their research applications and the performance of the system is found to be
satisfactory (Fig.52).









Fig.51: High Pressure System Fig.52: High Pressure Chamber

Landing Gear Brake system mathematical modelling and simulation
Landing Gear Brake system Matlab/Simulink model has been developed to predict the
stopping distance and stopping time of the aircraft upon brake application. The braking
system controller regulates the skid servo valve current such that maximum deceleration of
the aircraft is below 7 m/s
2
for dry run way condition. The Simulink model calculates the
aircraft speed based on the linear momentum balance of the entire aircraft. In the aircraft
linear momentum balance, only inertial and friction forces are considered and aerodynamic
drag is neglected. The wheel velocity at any given instant of time is calculated based on
angular momentum balance of the wheel. Angular momentum balance equation constitutes
applied brake torque and tyre frictional torque. Skid controller is modelled as on/off controller
in Simulink (Fig.53a & b).

Fig.53a: Matlab/Simulink model of
Landing Brake system

Environment Control System Design and Analysis Activities
Layout and Preliminary design of Environment Control System has been carried out for a
Transport Aircraft configuration as per FAR-25 requirements. Studies were carried out with
respect to design aspects, basis of selection among various systems, bleed air penalty
comparison among various architectures, performance estimates for various design cases,
weight and reliability estimates as well as the design, development, testing and integration
methodology to be employed for deploying a transport aircraft. Heat load estimates of critical
design cases have been carried out and layout has been prepared in line with aircrafts of
similar category, Fig.54.

Fig.54a: Layout of ECS b: Air Cycle Machine


C: Isometric view of the spatial mechanism
Fig.53b: Calculated Vehicle speed
& wheel speed of aircraft
Vs Time


d: Power and Torque requirements of the Mechanism

Static Burst Analysis Of Thick Walled Unflawed Cylinder
A study has been carried out to determine the static burst pressure in a closed unflawed
thick cylinder, Fig.55. The failure of the cylinder by ductile fracture mode has been
investigated. An elasto-plastic analysis has been performed considering the geometric and
material nonlinearities using commercially available ANSYS finite element analysis (FEA)
code. The Newton-Raphson and Arc-length algorithms available in ANSYS code has been
employed for the solution. In the initial analysis, a closed cylinder with a constant ratio of
outer to inner diameter, K =3 has been chosen. The principal stress distribution across the
cylinder wall in the elasto-plastic and full plastic regimes has been validated using Huang's
model. The Arc-length algorithm has been employed for computing the static burst pressure
of the cylinder (over the range K = 1.5 to 6) through rigorous computations. The results are
compared with the numerous empirical burst models available in the literature over the
above said range for various material models, viz., Elastic Perfectly Plastic, Elasto-Plastic
and Non-Linear.

Axisymmetric segment with boundary conditions for FE-analysis & Von Mises contour plot
fully plastic regime of the cylinder wall

Fig.55: Comparison plot of burst pressure for non-linear model



Static limit load test on engine mount structure: SARAS-PT1N aircraft:

The engine mount structure of the SARAS PT1-N has been redesigned to have a fail-safe
design to cater uncontained rotor burst requirement, for which the engine mount design has
been modified with an introduction of fail-safe truss assembly between yoke assembly and L
and M frames of nacelle. The newly designed nacelle is part of the engine mount structure to
fulfill the requirement of sealing. It was required to qualify the newly designed engine mount
of SARAS PT1-N aircraft by carrying out a static load test for a critical design limit load case
namely Propeller Malfunction to clear for flights including first flight of SARAS-PT1N aircraft.

Static load test rig on the stub wing engine mount assembly is shown in Fig.56. Loads on the
stub-wing were applied using lead shots bags. Engine mount loads at four mounting points
were applied through mechanical turn-buckle arrangements. Also, loads on the L and M
frames were applied by turn buckle and pulley arrangements. The test article was strain
gauged at critical locations using linear gauges (72 nos.) and rosettes (23 Nos.). Data
acquisition system (System 5000 from Micro- measurement group USA) was used for
acquiring the strain data from all the gauge locations. Deflections during the tests were
measured using two Cable Displacement Sensors (CDS) at identified locations. The test was
carried out successfully and the strains monitored during the test were well below the
allowable limits. The test was witnessed by CEMILAC certification agency.




2D. Static structural strength evaluation of RUSTUM-II fuselage:
The Rustom-II is a Medium-Altitude, Long-Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
(UAV) with AUW of 1800 Kgs. It is proposed to carry out static strength test of Rustom-II
fuselage for proof loads to meet the design and certification requirements. The structural
loads considered for the structural testing of the fuselage include the inertial loads
experienced by the UAV and manoeuvre loads on the tail of UAV. For this, test rigs and
loading fixtures are designed and developed for carrying out the static strength test for two
flight load cases and a Landing case. A conceptual test rig set-up and loading arrangements
is shown in Fig. 57. Preparations for test set-up and loading arrangements are underway.

Fig 56: Static load test set up for engine mount
structure: SARAS-PT1N aircraft


Fig. 57: Conceptual test setup for structural strength evaluation of
RUSTOM-II UAV fuselage

Damage Tolerance testing and evaluation of LCA wing-root fitting box:

As a continued activity of LCA airframe testing and analysis, preparations for fatigue testing
of the LCA wing-root fitting box has been completed. The test box has been assembled.
The top and bottom skins of the box were impacted at few specified locations with
designated impact energies and then C-scanned. In order to carry out structural health
monitoring during testing, FBG sensors and strain gages have been installed both inside and
outside of the test box at critical locations. Fatigue testing under variable amplitude loads will
be carried out in due course of time.

FE Analysis of CFC panels subjected to tensile loads:
The CFC AS4/914 panels of size 300mm 1000mm with sixteen-ply and quasi-isotropic
(45/-45/0/0/90/45/0/0) lay-up sequence were modeled. The repair of damaged panels by
adhesive Redux 319A with scarf patching geometry were considered. All the three
configurations namely the undamaged, damaged (with centre hole) and the repaired were
analyzed for their strength in order to examine the effect of damage on the strength
reduction in the damaged specimen and to assess the performance of the repaired panels in
regaining the strength of the undamaged panel. Failure load for undamaged, damaged and
repaired composite panels was predicted by finite element methods and compared with the
experiments. The FEA failure loads were obtained based on first ply failure theory, using
Tsai-Wu failure criteria. On comparison of these values with experimental failure loads, it
was observed that failure load obtained by FEA were in very good agreement with
experimental results. Also, the FEA strain values predicted at various critical locations in all
the three panels were in good comparison with experimental strain values. A typical
comparison of strains obtained during experimental study are compared with FE results is
shown in Fig.58.

Fig. 58: A comparison of FE and experimental strains on the repaired panel


3. TESTING AND QUALIFICATION ACTIVITIES

3A. Ground Vibration Testing on SARAS PT1N

The Ground Vibration Testing (GVT) was successfully conducted on SARAS PT1N aircraft
which is an equivalent version of PT2 with additional features and design improvements. The
GVT is mandatory for a newly designed aircraft and also for an existing aircraft with design
modifications involving structural changes. The GVT was carried out to demonstrate the
compliance with the provision of FAR 25 dealing with the design requirements for transport
category airplanes (FAR Advisory Circular number 25.629-1A dated 23/7/98). The objective
of the GVT was to determine the dynamic characteristics of the SARAS PT1N aircraft in
terms of experimental modal parameters. The experimental modal parameters are the
natural frequencies, modeshapes and modal damping. The GVT was carried out for Take-
off and Landing configurations as per the test plan TS-03, Vol 6(1), 2013, approved by
CEMILAC. The free-free boundary condition was simulated by reducing the pressure of tyres
to half of its nominal rating. Multi-Input Multi-Output (MIMO) methodology was adopted as
test strategy for global mode identification and Single Input Multiple Output (SIMO) for
control surface mode identification. The aircraft was excited using four 200 N B&K electro-
dynamic shakers, two of them located at wing tips in vertical direction, one at HT tip in
vertical direction and the other at the rear fuselage inclined at 45in XZ plane. A total of 160
numbers of accelerometers and 4 numbers of force transducers were used for output
response and input force measurement, respectively. The instrumented aircraft is shown in
Fig.59. The state-of-the-art LMS SCADAS III hardware with 4 Digital to Analog Converter
(DAC) and 126 Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) channels was used as data acquisition
system. LMS Test.Lab software was used for data collection, processing and estimation of
modal parameters. A frequency band of 0-100 Hz with 256 spectral lines was chosen to
cover the aircraft global modes and control surface modes. A 50 % burst random signal for
excitation with 50 averages was used to have good signal to noise ratio in the measured
signals. Pretest verifications like Linearity, reciprocity, coherence and drive point FRF were
performed before the estimation of frequency response functions (FRFs). The estimated
FRFs were processed to identify the modal parameters. Further, modal validation was done
in terms of Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC) matrix. The control surfaces (Rudder, Flaps,
Ailerons and Elevator) modes which were not distinctly excited during global excitation were
excited using an instrumented hammer and the corresponding modes were identified by
SIMO approach. A rigid body mode (Roll) was observed in all the test configurations. The
elastic modes of the aircraft were carefully analyzed and grouped as global and control
surface modes. A typical aircraft modeshape is shown in Fig.60. The estimated modal
frequencies and modal damping values showed consistency and expected trend among the
configurations. A detailed SIMO test was also conducted on both the engines in order to
estimate the pitch and yaw modes of the engine. All the above tests were witnessed by the
certifying authority (CEMILAC).
Fig.59: Instrumented SARAS PT1N aircraft Fig. 60: Wing 1st Symmetric Bending Mode
(6.33 Hz)

Use of Multifunctional Materials in MAVs for Improved Aeroelastic
Performances

The objective is to develop multifunctional wing for MAV to achieve required trim conditions
through adaptive trailing edge. In this project, we have successfully employed Macro Fiber
Composite (MFC) actuators on NAL developed BK MAV to realize the hingeless control
surface concept through a trailing edge morphing. Numerical analysis, followed by
experimental validation have confirmed that the trailing edge morphing technique is useful
for achieving the aerodynamic trim conditions for takeoff, level flight etc. The morphed
surface can be deployed as elevators (symmetric) and or ailerons (anti-symmetric) in flight
for different flight maneuvers (Fig.61).


Fig. 61: Multifunctional structural analysis and testing for trimming (upward and downward
continuous camber change)

a. Energy Harvesting Systems
A series of experiments are conducted to optimize the energy harvesting design sensitivity
parameters (Fig.62). The experimental details are given below:
i. Estimation of energy dissipation from 40X20 PZT patch
ii. Study on the effect of the thickness of the sensor to the thickness of the structure
iii. Effect of the vibrating frequency on harvesting energy
iv. Energy harvesting using Micro Fiber composite (MFC) to understand the directional
effects on energy harvesting
v. Study on dimensional effects of PVDF films on energy harvesting


Fig. 62: Energy Harvesting System setup and results of the power output Vs applied force

Nanocomposites
CNT alignment in epoxy composites has been examined to improve the mechanical and
damping properties. Voltages are applied during fabrication stage to electrically align the
CNTs. Specimens are fabricated and tested in Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA)
(Fig.63). The frequency dependant damping nature is evaluated.



Fig. 63: DMA testing and loss factor characteristics of CNT aligned nanocomposite

3B. Structural Testing and Evaluation (STE) Activities:
As a part of certification requirements, several structural testing and evaluation work was
taken up by the group. Structural testing and evaluation of LCA mid board pylon fairing and
engine mount structure of SARAS-PT1N aircraft were completed successfully. Further
preparations for static structural strength testing of Rustum-II fuselage and damage
tolerance testing of LCA wing root fitting box continued. Also, new proposals for structural
testing of Rustum-II wing and empennage, life extension of MiG-29 landing gears were
submitted to sponsors.

NEAT
EPOXY
R-0.1% R-0.2% A-0.2% A-0.1% R-0.3% A-0.3%
Data Acquisition
Electronics
Electrodynamic
shaker
Beam
Structural testing of LCA- composite mid board pylon fairing (aft):
The Light Combat Aircraft-Tejas has presently eight metallic fairings in the inboard and mid
board stations. As a part of the weight reduction program, it was proposed to convert these
metallic fairing to composites. The mid-board pylon fairing (aft) which was metallic earlier
has been designed with carbon sandwich construction, made of Carbon/Epoxy skin and
Nomex flex core. The fairing has overall dimension of 774162310 mm and is U-shaped
sandwich section with a total thickness of 8.7 mm as shown in Fig.64(a). It has to undergo
structural qualification test before its fitment on the aircraft. The pylon fairing which is
attached to the bottom of the LCA wing will experience the aerodynamic loads during flight.

Test rigs and loading fixtures were designed and developed for carrying out the tests. Fig.
64(b) shows the test set where the fairing was attached to the rig through a mounting plate
and L-clamps. The rig consists of 2 consecutive portal frames inter connected by box section
beam members and supported by angular gussets to which the pylon fairing was attached.
The portal frames are welded to the base frames which are bolted to the reaction floor.
Nylon pressure bag with compressed air was used for applying pressure which was
controlled by a pressure regulator with a digital pressure gauge for monitoring the applied
pressure. The pressure was applied on the inner surface of the fairing with the nylon bag
confirms to the shape of the fairing contour.

(a) Schematic of fairing (b) Test set-up
Fig. 64. A schematic of mid board pylon fairing (aft) and structural
test set up for testing of LCA fairing

The structural testing was carried out for two load cases (limit and ultimate). In the load
case-1, where the pressure of 5 KPa was applied to the pylon fairing on one half part of the
component, In the Load case-2, where the fairing was pressurized for 27 kPa and 41 KPa
respectively for both limit and ultimate load cases. The test article was strain gauged at 8
critical locations using stacked rosette gauges (R). Five (5) Cable Displacement Sensors
(CDS) were used for the measurement of deflection at the identified critical locations. In the
load case-1, the maximum principal strains were less than100 and the maximum
deflection measured was 0.4 mm. But in the Load case-2, it was observed that the maximum
principal strains were 329 and 435 respectively at the strain gauge R2 for both limit
and ultimate cases. Also, the maximum deflections measured during the limit load and
ultimate load cases were 1.42 mm and 2.12 mm respectively. The structural testing was
successfully carried out for all the limit and ultimate load cases. It was concluded that the
overall strains and deflections monitored during the test were well below the design
allowable limits.




Materials Testing and Evaluation (MTE) Activities:
The mechanical characterization of aerospace materials, both metallic alloys and polymer
composites, were carried out under various sponsored projects from ADA, HAL, DRDO etc.
Fatigue tests on aluminum alloys were conducted to determine fatigue properties. Fibre
Reinforced Polymer (FRP) matrix composite materials were tested to determine their various
mechanical properties such as tension, compression, flexure and inter-laminar shear stress
under RT and hot-wet conditions.

Static limit load test on engine mount structure: SARAS-PT1N aircraft:
The engine mount structure of the SARAS PT1-N has been redesigned to have a fail-safe
design to cater uncontained rotor burst requirement, for which the engine mount design has
been modified with an introduction of fail-safe truss assembly between yoke assembly and L
and M frames of nacelle. The newly designed nacelle is part of the engine mount structure to
fulfill the requirement of sealing. It was required to qualify the newly designed engine mount
of SARAS PT1-N aircraft by carrying out a static load test for a critical design limit load case
namely Propeller Malfunction to clear for flights including first flight of SARAS-PT1N aircraft.
The work was carried out by MSD group and FSIG provided all the testing support for this
work.
Static load test rig on the stub wing engine mount assembly is shown in Fig. 2. Loads on the
stub-wing were applied using lead shots bags. Engine mount loads at four mounting points
were applied through mechanical turn-buckle arrangements. Also, loads on the L and M
frames were applied by turn buckle and pulley arrangements. The test article was strain
gauged at critical locations using linear gauges (72 nos.) and rosettes (23 Nos.). Data
acquisition system (System 5000 from Micro- measurement group USA) was used for
acquiring the strain data from all the gauge locations. Deflections during the tests were
measured using two Cable Displacement Sensors (CDS) at identified locations. The test was
carried out successfully and the strains monitored during the test were well below the
allowable limits. The test was witnessed by CEMILAC certification agency

Carbon fiber composite IM7/ 8552:
As a part of design data generation and derivation of design allowable, prospective structural
carbon fiber composite IM7/ 8552 to be used in LCA was tested to determine various
mechanical properties. Over 20 different types of mechanical tests were conducted. Tests
were performed in both RT and hot-wet conditions. A typical hot-wet test set-up is shown in
Fig. 65. Prior to hot-wet testing, specimens were hygrothermally aged in an environmental
chamber until moisture absorption saturation was attained. All the tests were performed
following their respective ASTM standards.
Over 500 number of tests were conducted, test
data analyzed. Compilation of all the test
results, derivation of design allowable and
report preparations are underway.



Fig. 65: A photograph showing hot-wet
testing of composite specimen
.--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Infrastructure and facility Activity

IVHM Activity
A. Electrical power system and wiring health management

Developed Health management algorithms for single and twin engine aircraft electrical
system (ES) using deterministic (state machine) method, with a provision to (i) Assess each
subsystem health(ii)Display effect of one subsystem fault on the other in the ES and
(iii)Detect incipient faults and failure modes of the subsystem.

The above mentioned algorithms with sensor data are implemented using LABVIEW in real
time. A test rig for aircraft conversion system (TRU) is completed with sensor interface. In
addition, bus power controller code of twin engine ES and simulation of 3 multilevel
inverter for aircraft ES application are completed. Hardware with controller is in progress.
A demonstration of single engine ESHM and twin engine ESHM along with aircraft TRU test
rig and multilevel inverter with control signals is made ready utilizing the available HILS (PXI
& opal RT) platforms.

Located aircraft generators/IDGs and procured 30-40KVA IDGs (3 nrs) of Russian origin
from ADA on permanent basis. The assembly, installation, commissioning and testing the
units are being planned with the help of ADA & HAL teams. Also tested the TRU procured
from HAL Lucknow, at ARDC for acceptance.
Initiated work on Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to find the health of Ni-CD
battery.

Landing Gear Health Management

Completed modeling and simulation of 30 nrs of Line Replaceable Units of the Landing gear
System, of which two models are with fault injection methodology. These are hydraulic
simulation with faults (i) with actuator internal leakage (ii) Check valve Final verification
process is in progress. Developed a diagnostic algorithm related to the event of increase in
the time of under carriage extension for landing gear health management using synthetic
data. Developed 3D simulation models of extension and retraction of NLG & MLG with
provision for fault injection with the following features: (i) NLG mechanism simulation with
up-lock for retraction, (ii) NLG mechanism simulation with down-lock for retraction and (iii)
NLG mechanism simulation with extension and retraction with hydraulics in co-simulation
mode.

Prepared a scheme for condition monitoring of a hydraulic actuation system which can be
used for nose landing wheel steering mechanism simulation in HILS platform. Got the
integrated HILS and MBSE platform commissioned. Final approval is in progress.

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