Geometrical thermal analysis as a form of Finite Element Analysis enhancement

Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) of composite aerospace components requires rigorous stress and strain analysis, including mechanical and thermal, as part of the repair process. Finite Element Analysis (FEA) as a standard and robust method of determining the transfer of transient thermal results of materials is well established for remanufacture. However, the theoretical material properties upon which FEA models are based often do not correspond to real life composite aerospace parts, due to manufacturing variations and the addition of previous repairs to the component modifying the fibre orientation and local fibre volume fraction. Such deviations from FEA models can result in inadequate repairs and in extreme instances even cause thermal damage to components. A geometrical analysis method incorporating existing industry standard heating elements and single point thermal capture sensors (i.e. Resistance Temperature Detectors or Thermocouples) using captured data could be used to quickly verify transient thermal results and provide useful data in order to correct the FEA model.