Aircraft compressor ducts are typically engineered from flexible, high-temperature-resistant silicone rubber, optimized for critical air-handling tasks within the compressor section or auxiliary airflow management in aircraft engines. The primary focus of the analysis has been to identify specific opportunities for mass reduction. Strategic wall-thickness optimization enabled significant overall weight reduction while preserving essential thermal stability and structural integrity.

Project Highlights:

• Highly non-linear durability analysis to simulate complex structural behavior.
• Implementation of advanced Mooney-Rivlin hyper-elastic material model to capture the non-linear stress-strain response of silicone components under significant deformation.
• Complex multi-body contact interactions and leak-tightness evaluation to ensure seal integrity under high-pressure conditions.
• Integrated bolt pre-tension to accurately simulate initial clamping forces and their subsequent impact on interface pressure.
• Accounted for complex combinations of internal pressure, axial tension, shear forces, and moment loads.
• Analysis performed across a range of duct configurations to ensure structural scalability.