Development of Aircraft Spoiler Demonstrators for Cost-Efficient Investigations of SHM Technologies under Quasi-Realistic Loading Conditions

TL;DR

This paper presents a cost-effective scaled-down aircraft spoiler demonstrator and a numerical optimization method to accurately replicate real structural strain conditions for testing SHM technologies under realistic loads.

Contribution

It introduces an idealized 1:2 scale demonstrator and a parameter optimization algorithm to simulate real aircraft spoiler strain states efficiently.

Findings

Demonstrator accurately replicates real spoiler deformation and strain directions.

Finite element simulations agree well with experimental results.

Cost-effective testing of strain-based SHM systems under operational conditions.

Abstract

An idealized 1:2 scale demonstrator and a numerical parameter optimization algorithm are proposed to closely reproduce the deformation shape and, thus, spatial strain directions of a real aerodynamically loaded civil aircraft spoiler using only four concentrated loads. Cost-efficient experimental studies on demonstrators of increasing complexity are required to transfer knowledge from coupons to full-scale structures and to build up confidence in novel structural health monitoring (SHM) technologies. Especially for testing novel sensor systems that depend on or are affected by mechanical strains, e.g., strain-based SHM methods, it is essential that the considered lab-scale structures reflect the strain states of the real structure at operational loading conditions. Finite element simulations with detailed models were performed for static strength analysis and for comparison to experimental measurements. The simulated and measured deformations and spatial strain directions of the idealized demonstrator correlated well with the numerical results of the real aircraft spoiler. Thus, using the developed idealized demonstrator, strain-based SHM systems can be tested under conditions that reflect operational aerodynamic pressure loads, while the test effort and costs are significantly reduced. Furthermore, the presented loading optimization algorithm can be easily adapted to mimic other pressure loads in plate-like structures to reproduce specific structural conditions.