Dr Alvaro Cea
Current Research
Assessment of Geometrically-Nonlinear Effects in Aicraft Loads
This research is carried out in collaboration with Airbus and aims at developing new tools of analysis that allow the direct incorporation of geometrically-nonlinear effects to industrial linear Finite Element Models (FEMs). The motivation streams from two major design improvements: increases of wing aspect ratio seeking aerodynamic performance, and the advancements of new materials which allow for lighter and more flexible wings. They bring about large displacements and rotations, significant geometrical stiffening or follower forces that tilt with respect to the deformed body, for which linear assumptions are no longer valid. Traditionally, these problems have been tackled by constructing nonlinear beam models with sectional properties extracted by some sort of homogenization or asymptotic method, yet they incur in the loss of level of detail and fidelity provided by 3D FEMs. To overcome this disadvantage, the unconventional geometrically-exact intrinsic formulation, in form developed by past and current members of the Aeroelastics Team, is to be employed. The 3D properties from a complex FEM can be directly embedded in the formulation, therefore approximations of the structure are not required. The methodology is in process of incorporation to the SHARPy framework in order to have full aeroelastic capabilities and so complete part of the main goals of the project:
- Computation of dynamic loads with and without nonlinear effects and subsequent study of the implications to the design.
- Assessment of the computational cost associated to nonlinear analysis and proposal of strategies to generate production-ready computational tools.
- Incorporation of these nonlinear tools to the current CFD-CSM calculations implemented at Airbus.
Nonlinear Normal Modes (NNMs) are another current approach to compute nonlinear solutions on large FEMs and will also be investigated to further develop context. From previous analysis, however, they do not seem as promising for the stated goals as the new methods developed so far within this team. More research into this subject will be key to assesst the performance from the different approaches.
Reduced Order Modelling Techniques for Aeroelastic Analysis.
Part of the previous project is linked to the problem of how to condense and capture the main features of structural models. It will be very important to investigate different methods for modelling inertia in large FEMs and reduced order modelling techniques in nonlinear structural dynamics problems. Effectiveness of the Guyan Condensation, Dynamic Condensation or SEREP will be compared and assessed.
Education
2015-2016: MSc Advanced Aeronautical Engineering (Distiction). Imperial College London.
2012-2015: BEng Aerospace Engineering (1st Class). University of Surrey.
2011-2018: BSc Physics. UNED (Spanish National University for Distance Education).
Work Experience
Oct-2016 – Feb-2017: Research Internship at Airbus Group Innovations.
Contact
Department of Aeronautics,
Room 363A, Roderic Hill Building,
Imperial College, South Kensington Campus,
Prince Consort Road,
London SW7 2AZ
Tel: +44 (0)20 759 45119