Flare FEA

Project Outline:

To develop and validate a Finite Element Model (FEM) of the DSTL22 Flare, which can be used to predict strain generated inside the flare’s energetic pellet during captive flight carriage on an aircraft.

Project Description:

This work was carried out in support of our assessment of the safety and suitability for service of flares on a number of platforms, providing a tool to assist in our analysis of flight carriage vibration data and the definition of associated laboratory vibration qualification tests. The over-arching purpose of this and related work is to optimise laboratory vibration tests designed to demonstrate the Air Carriage Life (ACL) of the flares.

The FEM of the DSTL22 flare was achieved with the necessary validation being carried out within specified parameters in terms of natural frequencies and strain. This validation has been undertaken against specified experimental results.

The fundamental bending mode has been successfully predicted to within 10% of the measured values. The damping coefficient was found to be 6% and this value was used in the FEM. There was good similarity between the predicted and measured response around the fundamental frequency.