PROJECT TITLE: A FEA Computational Tool for Smart Materials and Embedded Components
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Smart materials and embedded components (SMECs) promise dramatic improvements in key aerospace technologies such as active damping and vibration attenuation, shape control, and enhanced structural reliability. State of the art design methodologies require the simulation of the behavior of a system on a computer prior to commencement of manufacturing, eliminating the costly prototype phase. A pertinent example is the Boeing 777, that was built with no mock up or prototyping. For SMECs to reach their potential there is a need for a computational tool that will enable the design and analysis of aerospace structures that contain SMECs. Such a computational tool will result from the proposed work. A core difficulty in simulation of SMECs is the need to support assembly level, dynamic, FEA analysis on complex geometries developed in CAD systems. The Computational Structures Branch at NASA Langley has developed the core of an enabling FEA technology for assembly level FEA: the Hybrid Variational Method (HVM). In this work we will extend the HVM to allow analysis of CAD level objects, interface with CAD tools, and dynamic and control analysis. The result of the work will enable workstation based prototyping of aerospace structures and systems containing SMECs.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The commercial product to be developed is a computational environment for the design of Smart Materials and Embedded Component (SMEC) structures. The product will run from within a CAD system and will support libraries of SMEC components, SMEC structural and control model creation, control design interface, and static and dynamic simulation under open loop and closed loop situations. The corresponding market niche is the designers of aerospace, automotive, and industrial structures that contain SMEC’s. The application is enabling the design of sensor and actuator systems for deployment and adjustment of structures for controllability, system identification, vibration attenuation, shape control, static adjustment, enhanced reliability, as well as active damping and low shock release devices. In automotive the applications include active suspensions and vibration attenuation. The product will enable incorporation of SMEC innovations without the introduction of severe programmatic risks due to the need to build - test - fix.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Gal Berkooz
Beam Technologies, Inc.
110 North Cayuga St.
Ithaca , NY 14850-4331
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
Beam Technologies, Inc.
110 North Cayuga St.
Ithaca , NY 14850-4331