TsAGI Holds 2022 Research-and-Technology Conference on Aircraft Structural Strength
26 December 2022
Usage of composites in current and future aircraft, modern airworthiness and certification criteria for aircraft technologies, development of digital technologies for strength, creation of RPAS, tactic and strategic issues of import substitution in aircraft design—this is not full list of topics considered at 2022 Research-and-Technology Conference on Aircraft Structural Strength. Organized by TsAGI (a part of NRC “Zhukovsky Institute”), the Conference was held in December.
According to the welcoming speech by D. Sc., Prof. Aleksandr Medvedsky (First Deputy General Director, TsAGI), the conference, which celebrated its 90th anniversary this year, is substantially different from other similar events. ‘Such conferences mostly deal with fundamental issues of strength, while our conference is the only one in the country that highlights the issues of applied aircraft structural strength. Gratifyingly, the Conference unites the core customers of the institute—the Irkut Corporation, Russian Helicopters, Kronstadt, and many others,’ said Aleksandr Medvedsky.
Plenary reports were made by Vladimir Lavrov, Chief Designer for Superjet Program, Regional Aircraft branch of Irkut Corporation; by Sergey Novoselov, Chief Rotorcraft Designer at Mil&Kamov; by Aleksey Polyakov, Chief Designer at Kronstadt Company; and by Yegor Nazarov, Head of NIO-101 Strength Laboratory, MAI.
Scientific report by A. Dzyuba (Deputy Head for Aircraft Strength, Head for Static and Thermal Strength at TsAGI) dealt with new TsAGI technologies aimed to provide strength of modern and advanced aircraft structures. He reported on the latest activities related to design and verification of strength, stiffness, endurance and stability control of performance of composite structures; studies of emergency landing consequences for aircraft structures; innovative active and adaptive controls; and advanced systems of monitoring loads and aircraft structural state. To perform strength studies, TsAGI mastered modern equipment, developed mobile and stationary facilities for studying climatic effects on aircraft, and built new benches and laboratories. This year, a specialized large-scale wingbox strength test facility and a unique facility for high-lift wing operation under variable loads were commissioned. Strength test laboratory is to be commissioned in 2024, where comprehensive strength studies of full-scale aircraft structures will be done at a radically new level of technology.
The conference had three tracks, Static and Thermal Strength, Fatigue and Lifecycle of Aircraft Structures, and Standards of Strength, Load and Aeroelasticity. The conference covered a wide range of topics in the area both for the industry and for establishment of technological advance in aircraft structural strength.
A major issue in modern aircraft manufacturing is ensuring civil RPAS flight safety and developing relevant regulatory criteria. Report by A. Sviridov (co-authored by S. Dubinsky, A. Pankov and A. Kalinin—TsAGI) dealt with the main problems associated with RPAS certification and lifecycle verification. It presented the experts’ vision on the regulatory development. The key issue is reduction of time for certification and relevant design and tests to
Certification issues were also highlighted in the paper by M. Ovsyannikov (co-authors: V. Matveev, A. Sereznov and V. Shibaev—TsAGI) which focused on draft of recommendations as the basis for development of technological advance in civil RPAS flight safety. The document will allow for developing designer guidelines and methods for determining compliance with airworthiness requirements, and will enable shaping procedures of completing the stages of civil RPAS creation.
D. Fomin (co-authors: M. Zichenkov, A. Dzyuba, A. Shanygin, I. Kondakov and A. Shustrov—TsAGI) presented results of the decade-long research into mesh composite compartment structure. The activities aim at validating calculation models. It proved the reliability and prospects of the design solution which can be used in advanced civil aircraft.
The scientists also spoke on such relevant topics as concept development of active aeroelasticity, vibration diagnostics of structures, acceleration of innovations related to strength, etc.
The conference ended with a Research-and-Technology Seminar on Innovative Technological Solutions Providing Aircraft Structural Safety, hosted at TsAGITech. Specialists from leading research enterprises reported on such topics as non-contact frequency testing, method of aircraft structural acoustic diagnostics based on aircraft structural variations, solutions for ground-based frequency tests and aircraft structural strength tests, etc.
TsAGI initiated the Research-and-Technology Conference on Aircraft Structural Strength to discuss relevant topics related to applied strength by top industrial experts. Up to the 1990s, the Conference was held regularly until a pause that lasted till 2012. The Conference is hosted at TsAGI biennially. This time, it had five plenary reports, over 40 thematic reports and over 30 poster presentations. The 2022 Conference gathered about 200 specialists from more than 40 organizations and institutions, including Mil&Kamov, SibNIA named after S. A. Chaplygin, Irkut Corporation, Moscow Aviation Institute, IMASH RAN, Ilyushin, JSC AeroKompozit, Tupolev PJSC, VIAM, ORPE Technologiya named after A.G. Romashin, GlobalTest Company, etc.