An Approach to Preliminary Design and Analysis

A process of performing high fidelity aerospace structural analyses early in the design cycle is presented. The process has been programmed into a tool called HyperFEA™ and couples the software HyperSizer® for failure analysis methods and sizing optimization with FEA to provide a robust system that is capable of exploring very rapidly a large design space of different FEM geometries, panel concepts, material selections, cross sectional dimensions, and composite layups for airframes and launch vehicles. The software includes hundreds of different analyses such as panel buckling, crippling, bonded and bolted joint, and composite strength to both lamina and laminate methods using damage tolerance criteria and corresponding test data correlation for consistently establishing margins-of-safety for airworthiness certification. Several examples are provided ranging from cylindrical launch structure, that does not need FEA, to a wing box that is optimized in an iterative manner with HyperSizer and FEA to a prescribed wing tip deflection. Design shortcomings are avoided and more robust designs are found as the software is used throughout four different levels of progressive analysis and design.