Tools

At the Chair of Aircraft Engineering, a variety of in-house software has been developed to perform simulative studies. A selection of the in-house programs is listed below.

eLamX²

The open source laminate analysis program eLamX² (expandable Laminate eXplorer) has been developed for several years at the Chair of Aircraft Engineering. It is used worldwide in teaching, research and industry for the rapid design of fiber composite structures and is available as open source software.

SandMesh³

For a reliable simulation of the mechanical behavior of a sandwich under impact load as well as a numerical analysis of the failure of damaged and undamaged specimens, detailed FE models have to be created. SandMesh³ provides an efficient solution of this task.

GEOpS²

GEOpS² (Genetic and Evolutionary Optimisation of Structures) is a program for numerical optimization using Evolutionary Algorithms. It has been developed for more than two decades at the Chair of Aircraft Engineering. Its parallel approach combines approaches of Genetic Algorithms, Evolutionary Strategies and Differential Evolution. This allows the robust solution of a wide range of engineering optimization problems involving continuous and discrete design variables as well as discontinuous solution spaces. A focus is put on the application for global multi-objective optimization.

FiPPS²

FiPPS² (Finite Elemente Programm-Paket zur Strukturberechnung) is a linear-static finite element solver. It is characterized by its high efficiency and ability for parallelization. In addition to linear-static FE analysis, linearized stability calculations can be performed. Currently, two-node beam elements, 8-node layered shell elements with formulation and 20-node layered solid elements can be used.

WingModeller²

The in-house model generator WingModeller² allows the parameter-based generation of detailed FE models of aircraft wings. In addition to conventional wing geometries, unconventional configurations, such as box-wings, can also be easily realized. A library of common structural elements, such as wing skin, spars, stringers and ribs, is available in a parameterized form for the simple and fast generation of fully meshed FE models.

CsCalc

CsCalc (Cross Section Calculation) allows a simple, GUI-based generation of two-dimensional cross sections of any shape. A combination of different materials with different characteristic values is possible. By means of a numerical approach, all relevant cross-section properties, needed for the use in beam models, can be calculated. These include surface moments of inertia, cross-sectional area and the position of the center of mass and the shear center.

SAFARi

SAFARi (Semi Analytical Flutter Analysis Routine) allows a semi-analytical analysis of aeroelastic wing properties. It is used to calculate natural frequencies and natural modes as well as the velocity-dependent frequency and damping curves. Based on this, the flutter velocity can be determined. SAFARi is designed for trapezoidal wings of large aspect ratio with attached additional masses. In addition to its use in research, SAFARi is also used in teaching.