Consistent Structural Integrity and Efficient Certification with Analysis. Volume 1: Executive Summary, Implemented Solution, and Industry Applications

摘要

Report developed under SBIR contract for topic AF01-239. This SBIR report maintains that reliable pretest predictions and efficient certification are suffering from inconsistent structural integrity that is prevalent throughout a project's design maturity. Eight primary inconsistencies practiced in aerospace structural analysis are identified. This SBIR proposes solutions for these inconsistencies and documents software implementation and real world examples. Our primary approach is to couple analytical methods to experimental results to achieve consistent structural integrity by analysis. By establishing repeatable uncertainty from building block test data for unique failure modes, it is possible to identify correlation factors (CFs) that account not only for analysis inaccuracy, but also for observed scatter in test results. Industry-accepted failure analysis predictions then can be used to design more robustly and to avoid unanticipated design flaws discovered in final design, or, worse yet, those that lead to part failure. The CFs can be used to adjust individual margins of safety to produce more consistent structural integrity in the design and dependability in weight predictions of an aerospace vehicle. Such a capability is most useful during preliminary design where 80 percent of design decisions carry forward to final design, including uninformed ones that bring with them difficulties of meeting weight goals, passing structural testing on the first try, and costly certification.