Altair > Case Studies > Creating a Structurally Efficient Design for the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier

Creating a Structurally Efficient Design for the Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Identity & Authentication Management
Networks & Connectivity - RFID

Applicable Industries

Marine & Shipping
Transportation

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Structural Health Monitoring

About The Customer

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) is a unique partnering relationship between industry leaders in the UK's aerospace and defense sectors. The ACA is responsible for delivering the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, the largest warships ever built in the UK. The alliance is made up of BAE Systems, Babcock, Thales, and the UK Ministry of Defence. The ACA is committed to delivering a first-class naval capability to the UK's Royal Navy, and as such, they are constantly seeking innovative solutions to improve the design and manufacturing processes of their naval vessels.

The Challenge

The Aircraft Carrier Alliance (ACA) faced a significant challenge in the concept and preliminary design phases of a naval ship project. The designers were often required to work with limited data on the major structural design drivers for the vessel. This often led to a largely subjective design approach, which could result in inefficiency and even structural problems being locked-in from the start. To rectify any issues, increased material use, weight, and unnecessary complexity, as well as high design and manufacture costs, could be introduced to the end product. The ACA sought to evaluate the potential of simulation-driven design under the unique requirements of naval ship design.

The Solution

The ACA partnered with Altair ProductDesign to apply optimization technology to drive efficient, right first time design solutions to a series of structural regions of the vessel. One area of interest was the aircraft carrier’s flight control (FLYCO) module. The FLYCO module structure is comprised of a large glazed area supported between an upper and lower sponson structures. These sponson structures are required to meet natural frequency and deflection targets and are therefore subject to the complex interactions of mass and stiffness. Topology optimization was first employed to identify the optimum global positioning of stiffening webs within the package envelope of the module. This was followed by a further round of topology optimization to identify the optimum load paths within those webs, such that openings could be cut without compromising structural performance. Finally, size and shape optimization was employed to fine-tune the plate thicknesses and opening sizes to minimize mass and design complexity while meeting design targets.

Operational Impact

The collaboration between the ACA and Altair ProductDesign resulted in a significant improvement in the design and manufacturing process of the FLYCO module structure. The use of simulation-driven design and optimization technology allowed for a more objective and efficient design approach. This resulted in a structure that met all the necessary natural frequency, deflection, stress, and buckling targets. Furthermore, the new design was simpler and used fewer parts, which reduced fabrication costs. The success of this project demonstrated the potential benefits of simulation-driven design in naval ship design and manufacturing.

Quantitative Benefit

The redesigned FLYCO module structure was 16% lighter than a traditional design.
The new design used fewer parts, leading to reduced fabrication costs.
The simulation-driven design approach led to improved structural performance and efficiency.