Elastic Multibody Models of Transport Aircraft High-Lift Mechanisms

In development of transport aircraft high-lift systems, the application of commercial simulation tools is widely used. This paper provides a short overview of parametric modeling of the mechanisms of the high-lift system of a transport aircraft as an elastic multibody system. Elastic mechanical components are modeled by means of the method of finite elements. The high-lift mechanisms comprise the leading-edge devices (droop nose, slats) and the trailing-edge devices (flaps). After giving some details of the theoretical background of elastic multibody systems, the specific models of the high-lift mechanisms are described. Simulation results of representative parameter studies demonstrate the application of the model. Some failure cases are also investigated in addition to an operating load case.