A significant step change is proposed in the way virtual and test environments are used together in an industrial environment to reduce the cost, risks and time associated with product development. Enabling technologies, which have been demonstrated in laboratory conditions during a series of EU FP 5 and 7 projects, will be transitioned into the industrial environment and demonstrated in a structural test on an aircraft subcomponent. In more detail: approaches to quantifying uncertainty in measurements of displacement and strain fields obtained using digital image correlation will be reviewed and a simple-to-use, robust methodology developed for use in industrial environments, with attention paid to the need to consider the entire measurement volume as well as within the same timescale as a structure test. In addition, recent advances in the validation of simulations, using image decomposition to compare predicted and measured data fields, will be incorporated into advanced structural test protocols taking account of uncertainties to provide statements on the extent to which the predictions represent reality, i.e. the validity of the simulations. Best practice guidelines will be developed to allow the test matrix to be optimised thus minimizing the cost and time required for tests while maximising the reliability and credibility of the simulations. The proposed research represents a significant and generic advance in the technologies and methodologies used to validate computational models of structures that will benefit a wide range of industrial sectors, including the aerospace industry where it will support the introduction of disruptive technologies, such as highly integrated structures, by enabling high fidelity simulations. A strong programme of exploitation and dissemination is proposed using traditional routes as well as digital shorts, webinars, and a blog as well as workshops linked to the revision of the prenormative document published by CEN.

The aim of the project is to develop advanced integrated testing methods that have the capability to detect a crack or delamination in a metallic or composite structure and have the potential to be deployed as part of an on-board structural health monitoring system for passenger aircraft. The proposal incorporates a new philosophy for monitoring damage in which the disturbance to the strain field in the structure caused by the damage is used to identify significant damage and to track its propagation. Recently, this approach has been demonstrated to be at least as effective in composite structures as traditional non-destructive evaluation techniques and, in CS2 project INSTRUCTIVE using infrared technology, it has been shown to be capable of identifying smaller cracks in metallic structures than any other available technique. In this project, it is proposed to amalgamate these innovations with more established techniques, such as strain gauges and acoustic emission, and to demonstrate an integrated testing method. The objectives are designed to mature technologies from TRL 4 to 6 that are likely to have a disruptive impact on the structural health monitoring of next generation large passenger aircraft The objectives are: i) to develop a robust and innovative concept for integrating a diverse set of sensors and data acquisition systems for detecting and monitoring damage in an aircraft assembly; ii) to produce an integrated system of sensors and data acquisition systems deployed on a test bench representing an aircraft assembly, and; iii) to conduct prototype demonstration and evaluation tests of the integrated system and test bench using independent systems. The primary outcome will be the demonstration, on a test bench consisting of an aircraft assembly, of an integrated measurement system for ‘on-line’ detecting and monitoring damage based on a diverse range of sensor systems.