Under the terms of the Certification by Analysis contract, which was awarded in February, Advatech will demonstrate the state-of-the-art capabilities of GENOA, predictive analysis software developed by AlphaSTAR Corporation, Long Beach, California, Advatech’s subcontractor on the Certification by Analysis project. Advatech intends to consistently and accurately predict failure loads, failure modes, damage tolerance, residual strength and service life for specific composite components of an aircraft, most likely the canard - or horizontal stabilizer in front of the wing - of a Beechcraft Starship 2000. The contract is part of a $1,350,000 joint effort of the Federal Aviation Administration and NIAR, called “Damage tolerance and analysis protocols for full-scale composite airframe structures under repeated loading.”

The rapid growth of composite material use in commercial and military aircraft is placing a growing demand on the testing and certification process for composite components, parts and repairs to meet regulatory requirements and statutes. Presently, certification requires significant physical testing for the aviation industry according to Advatech Pacific vice president for business development Ken Moore.

“This is a matching grant, which means we are putting up $35,000 of our own money,” Moore said. “Predicting the failure behavior under static and dynamic load conditions for the composite materials to be used in commercial and military aircraft will dramatically reduce the need for time-consuming and costly testing, meaning that planes can be certified faster, for less money, and with better understanding of their structural safety.”

But with the rapid growth of composite material use, Advatech officials foresee a market far beyond military and commercial aircraft, including automobiles, military ground vehicles, military and civil bridges, satellites and even carbon nanotubes, which are extraordinarily strong, molecule-sized tubes with remarkable electronic properties.

“We are an aerospace and defense firm, but we are now pushing to become a recognized leader in predictive analysis for composite materials, which is a new market with huge potential for us,” Moore said. “We are proud to be working with Wichita State University, AlphaSTAR and the FAA on this small but potentially revolutionary program.”

The National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State University performs research, design, testing and certification for government agencies, industry and educational entities. NIAR houses fifteen laboratories including Advanced Joining, Aerodynamics, Aging Aircraft, Aircraft Icing, Composites, Crash Dynamics, Fatigue & Fracture, Human Factors, Structures and Virtual Reality. NIAR is also a part of the NASA-sponsored National Center for Advanced Materials Performance (NCAMP) and three FAA-sponsored centers of excellence: Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Performance (CECAM), Airworthiness Assurance Center of Excellence (AACE) and Center of Excellence for General Aviation (CGAR).

AlphaSTAR Corporation (ASC) is a leading provider of advanced engineering analysis services and of specialized software for the analysis of complex engineering material systems. ASC supports a wide range of customers with a wide array of challenges predominately from the aerospace, automotive and civil structures industries.

Advatech Pacific Inc., is an established, rapidly growing aerospace and defense engineering firm supporting customers with engineering, modeling and simulation, research and development, and design and analysis services. Advatech provides customer support through offices located in Phoenix, Arizona, Palmdale, California, and the company’s corporate office in Redlands, California.