Numerical Analysis of Bird Impact Over the Aircraft Windshield

Abstract

Bird impact on aircraft is one of the most important foreign object damages, which result in the reduction in airworthiness. Most bird impacts are not fatal but bird impact can be deadly when the impact is at engine assembly, leading-edge and Frontal area of aircraft. This study focuses on bird impact on windshield and its effects on stress concentration and energy absorption. The strength and stiffness of the windshield play a vital role during foreign object damage. Laminated glass is used as a windshield, the reason to use interlayer is to avoid separation of other layers after impact which ultimately reduces risk to pilot. Laminate configurations glass/PMMA/glass and PMMA/Polycarbonate/PMMA are used for the windshield. Impact analysis has been carried out at velocities of 50m/s, 100m/s and 150m/s. Modeling and solving are done in LS-Pre post and LS-Dyna using a FE-SPH approach. Simulations are carried out impact against bird, stress and energy absorption as the output. Based on results, PMMA/Polycarbonate/PMMA laminate is most likely to sustain the bird strike impact without failure.