The Airbus airframe design process has considerably evolved since 20 years with the constant improvement of numerical simulation capability and the computational means capacity. Today the size of Finite Element Models for aircraft structural behaviour study is exceeding the boundary of airframe components (fuselage section, wing); for the A350, a very large scale non-linear model of more than 60 million degrees of freedom has been developed to secure the static test campaign. This communication will illustrate the partnership with Altair and the use of Altair products for the creation and verification of very large models at Airbus. It will deal with: - Geometry preparation - Meshing - Property assignment - Assembly - Checking More generally, numerical simulation will play more and more a major role in the aircraft process, from the development of new concepts / derivatives to the support of the in-service fleet. Then, this presentation will also state the coming needs regarding model creation tools to cope with Airbus strategy. Speakers Marion Touboul, Ingénieur en Simulation Numérique - Calcul Structure, Airbus Opérations SAS

1. Aircraft Finite Element
Modelling for structure
analysis using Altair
Products
8th European ATC - Paris
Marion TOUBOUL - Airbus
September 29th – October 1st , 2015

2. © Airbus Operations S.A.S. Tous droits réservés. Document confidentiel.
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus
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CONTENT
• Airbus Main Products
• Non Linear Simulation at Airbus
• ViFST Project
 Introduction
 Use of Altair tools for model build
 ViFST ES2 model
 Illustration of a virtual full test case
• Conclusion
September 29th – October 1st , 2015

3. © Airbus Operations S.A.S. Tous droits réservés. Document confidentiel.
A full range of market leading civil airliners
A320 family:
A take-off or landing every 2 seconds,
more than 10 billion passengers carried since EIS in 1988
derivative A320 NEO
A330 family:
A take-off or landing every 20 seconds,
> 1.6 billion passengers have flown on an A330
A350 XWB:
1st A350 delivered end of 2014
781 firm orders
A380:
A take-off or landing every 4 minutes
125 flights per day and 1 million pax per month
Airbus Main Products
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8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

4. © Airbus Operations S.A.S. Tous droits réservés. Document confidentiel.
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Non Linear Simulation at Airbus (1/2)
• Major role in all the phases of the structures processes and for the whole
structure domain
Research
Concept
Justification/
certification
In-service
Design
Manufacturing
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

5. © Airbus Operations S.A.S. Tous droits réservés. Document confidentiel.
Non Linear Simulation at Airbus (2/2)
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Advanced simulation for phenomenon prediction (virtual testing) & understanding
to explain test failures and analyse
reinforcements/modifications
to avoid premature failures during test
to explain and rectify issues encountered during
test execution
to evaluate manufacturing defects and
associated repair schemes
Cut
section
A380 ES NLFEA
ES failure explained
A400M OWB bondlines
GIc Issue Resolved
11_7m_Mid_Left_Lat_Panel_C68_P16
-4000
-3000
-2000
-1000
0
1000
2000
3000
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
Loadstep
Microstrain(μs)
LBL_UL P68L16PF06L LBL_GDFEM_NL P68L16PF06L LBL_UL P68L16PF07L
LBL_GDFEM_NL P68L16PF07L LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L15P_03A LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L15N_04A
LBL_UL P68L16PH05L LBL_UL P68L16PF06L LBL_GDFEM_NL P68L16PF06L
LBL_UL P68L16PF07L LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L16P_08A LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L16N_09A
LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L15P_03B LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L15N_04B LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L15P_03C
LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L15N_04C LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L16N_09B LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L16P_08C
LBL_GDFEM_NL S68L16N_09C
Barrel1B NLFEA
Complex NL behaviour
explained
A400M EW pylon area
Structural modification introduced
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

6. © Airbus Operations S.A.S. Tous droits réservés. Document confidentiel.
ViFST Project – Introduction (1/2)
Multi-scale analysis
All parts meshed
Mesh size : 20mm
All tied model
ES EW VTP FST
Virtual Full Scale Test
What ?
Hot spot assessment via full « Detailed » finite
element model of the test cells (Level1)
Why ?
Risk mitigation to secure A350 structural test
campaign (planning)
How ?
Non linear numerical simulation (Abaqus)
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

7. © Airbus Operations S.A.S. Tous droits réservés. Document confidentiel.
Page 7
ViFST Project – Introduction (2/2)
A350 program presents some major challenges:
Massive use of composite (design & manufacturing maturity)
New designs
Low design safety margins
Reduced lead times and design cycle
Reduced lead times on static tests
Nose fuselage lower
bulkhead Double curvature,
composite/metallic
circumferential joint
Double curvature, Door /
Window area
Lateral panels with
discontinuous
stringers
Fuselage
longitudinal joints
Window
frames
Keel beams
MLG load paths
CWB top
cover
S18/S19 interface
and RPB
S19
Sharply curved CFRP frames
cut-out beams, cut-out corner
fittings, inspection door
structure
Stringer run-outs
Buckling of the
OWB structure
Unsupported panels
and high loaded
joints in pylon area
Wing Root
Joint
Unsupported panels
in the tip area
VTP
ribs with C-flanges
stringers with duckfeet
VTP-S19 continuous joint
HTP
Central joint
Swaged ribs
Inner fittings
pivot & actuators
PAX and Cargo
door surrounds
Goal = reducing the number of tests and increasing virtual testing
challenge2
 Need of a very large trustable model
challenge1
Use of Altair tools
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

8. © Airbus Operations S.A.S. Tous droits réservés. Document confidentiel.
Page 8
ViFST Project – Use of Altair tools for model build (1/2)
• Model philosophy
- Created with parts and assembly according to Abaqus possibility
- Created « world wide »
• Challenge 1: very large model creation tools
- For simple « current » parts (clips, cleats, frames, stringers…)
 Tool for automatic midsurface extraction & thickness
assignement
 Tool for batch meshing
 Tool for part check
Powerful midsurface extraction
Automatic thickness assignment
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

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ViFST Project – Use of Altair tools for model build (2/2)
• Challenge 2: composite
- Tool for automatic creation of composite shell section
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

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ViFST Project – Centre Fuselage (CF)
France
Versioning for CF model tracking
Crown Panel
FLS
Keel Beam & ALS
Lateral Panels
Centre Wing Box
Main Landing Gear Bay
Checks at subcomponent level
Assembly & final check  CF model
(dummy load cases)
Starting from Digital Mock-Up (CatiaV5R16)
Subcomponent by subcomponent
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8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

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ViFST Project – Wing model (OWB)
UK
Left wing
Right wing
Mirror script
Versioning for OWB model tracking
Checks
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8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

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ViFST Project – ES2 model
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OWB
- continuum shell
- 15-20mm
- refined areas (Ribs…)
- tie conditions
Fuselage
- classical shell elements /
continuum shell elements near
OWB
- 15-20mm
- no fillet in stringers, clips, frames
- tie conditions
65M dof
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

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Page 13
ViFST Project – Illustration of a virtual full test case
• Post-processing challenges:
• Limited planning with huge quantity of data
• Physical interpretation of internal loads and failure modes
• Communication and delivery strategy
ES gauges
predictions
Strain gauge
predictions for
test follow-up
Screening
Critical areas
identification
and analysis
Hot spot
analysis for
mitigation or
confirmation
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

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Conclusion – The Impact of Tools Development
Timely completion of ViFST model
Successful De-risking of Major Static Test
First Flight of A350-XWB
First Delivery to Airlines
Collaborative Tools
Development
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8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

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Conclusion – Future needs
Page 15
1. Implement new technologies to speed-up
• meshing (rules based batch meshing)
• models Assembly (automatic detection of contacts from CAD, fastener
templates filled by design data)
2. Design Multi-Purpose approaches
• share simulation processes/methods/tools between disciplines
• build simulation platforms to integrate multi-purpose requirements
3. Develop an Integrated ‘CAD-CAE and PLM’ environment for multidisciplinary
simulation
• facilitate model build & fast update
• switch quickly from one configuration to another (derivatives, aircraft batches,
design loops)
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015

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Page 16
Thank you
8th European ATC - Paris – M. TOUBOUL - Airbus September 29th – October 1st , 2015