Comparative Analysis Program for Experimental and Calculated Data

Abstract

This article aims to provide an interactive in-house tool to quickly asses the stress in the critical points of the aeronautical structures. The software compares the results between the stress values obtained from the experimental tests using the resistive electrical tensometry technique (RET) and the stress values calculated with FEM software. RET refers to the stress and strains measured by strain gauges applied to the critical points of the structures. The finite element analysis was carried-out with MSC. PATRAN/ NASTRAN using shell and solid elements in order to identify the critical points based on the stress and strain results. The validation of the results obtained by the finite element modelling has been made experimentally using the resistive electrical tensometry method. The results from these two methods have been compared with the in-house software developed in Visual Basic with Excel interface. The program evaluates the relative error between the experimental and calculated data at critical points.

Keywords

• finite element method
• resistive electrical tensometry method
• strain gauge
• critical points of structures
• Visual Basic
• in-house software
• comparative analysis
• RET