LMS Solutions for

Aerospace Engineering
 Engineering tomorrow’s aircraft and space systems
Aerospace manufacturers are faced with the challenge of
designing systems and components that have to be safer, more
reliable, cheaper to operate, deliver better passenger comfort
and have less environmental impact than their competitors.
In addition, they have to systematically reduce development
times in order to get new products to market earlier. Yet,
only a few prototypes are available and, in most cases,
only towards the end of the development cycle. Stringent
environmental constraints, increased competition and global
partnering translate into difficult engineering challenges and
an ever-stronger need for collaborative design and engineering
solutions.
Although virtual prototype simulation has dramatically
accelerated the development processes, physical testing
continues to play a mission-critical role. Only testing can
provide the feedback the design teams require to validate
their assumptions and calibrate their virtual models. The LMS
2 LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering
strategy focuses on making testing more efficient, integrate it
more tightly into the development process, and to leverage the
knowledge generated by testing throughout the company.
LMS’ simulation and testing solutions are used by aerospace
engineering teams to:
• Ensure the structural integrity of the aircraft and its
critical components, while applying lighter materials
• Reduce noise levels and emissions, while
increasing the performance of jet engines
• Increase passenger comfort, and at the
same time reduce overall weight
• Develop lighter mechanical systems without
compromising safety and reliability
• Design larger and more complex satellites that
withstand extreme launch and operation conditions
LMS uniquely supports aerospace
manufacturers to control development
costs and risks, and get new
products to market faster.
LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com
 Virtual prototype simulation
LMS Virtual.Lab simulates component and full system
performance, from the early concept stage up to the detailed
modeling stage. LMS Virtual.Lab offers an integrated solution
to simulate and balance conflicting attributes such as
structural integrity, durability, comfort, acoustics, and the
dynamic behavior of mechanisms. Test-based models and loads
can also be combined with virtual simulations and synthesized
loads in a so-called “hybrid simulation” approach.

 Physical prototype testing

LMS Test.Lab provides the most complete portfolio of
applications for test-based noise and vibration engineering. It
comprises modules for structural, rotating machinery, acoustic
testing and analysis, environmental testing, test reporting
and data sharing. LMS Test.Lab builds upon the blistering
performance of the LMS SCADAS III data acquisition front-end
to create a breakthrough in noise and vibration testing.

 Engineering services
Through its Engineering Services Division, LMS provides
vehicle development support: from overload contracting and
troubleshooting, technology transfer, process re-engineering
and co-development projects. Engineering Services is the LMS
catalyst for new technology deployment in both simulation and
test applications.

 Process integration and design optimization

LMS Optimus offers an integrated set of powerful capabilities
for single and multi-attribute optimization. It includes modules
for process capturing and automation, design exploration,
optimization and robust design. Through design of experiments
(DOE) and response surface modeling (RSM) techniques,
engineers gain a rapid insight in all possible design options
meeting their requirements.

 Engineering data management

LMS Tec.Manager makes it possible to easily retrieve data,
even in case no formal data structure is available. Its powerful
capabilities for indexing, cataloguing and linking data offers
the flexibility to organize engineering data to suit the needs
of a small team, a large engineering project, or even an entire
company, taking into account general data management
standards.

LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering 3

 Designing tomorrow’s aircraft structures
Airframe manufacturers are continuously creating innovative designs, making greater use of new lightweight materials and
increasing their focus on passenger comfort. Achieving a perfect balance between these competing requirements represents a
tremendous challenge for the design and engineering of the airframe.
Structural analysis
Preparation of component or full aircraft models and analysis
of their performance in terms of structural integrity is key
to fast simulation of new designs. LMS Virtual.Lab offers
the flexibility to run a full geometry-based analysis process,
to follow a mesh-based approach or a combination of both.
All three approaches benefit from the full associativity
throughout the simulation process. The integration of various
process steps and simulation tools eliminates the need to
rework models, duplicate meshes, transfer files, translate
data and visualize results in application-specific formats. In
recent customer deployments, LMS Virtual.Lab has delivered
substantial productivity gains for component analysis: a 30%
plus time saving for initial stress analysis and a more than 70%
gain for iterative analysis.
Structural dynamics
As commercial transport aircraft designs become larger
and more flexible, the impact of vibrations on a vehicle’s
flight dynamics, flight control and flying qualities becomes
increasingly important. Today’s designs undergo sophisticated
aeroelastic analyses to ensure that the design is free of flutter
within the flight envelope. These analytical results are verified
by wind-tunnel flutter models and ground vibration tests. LMS
offers an integrated solution based on LMS Test.Lab and
LMS Virtual.Lab to handle the test preparation, modal testing,
modal analysis, numerical model correlation, model updating
4 LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering
and model exploitation. Dynamics specialists recognize this
integrated approach as a key enabling factor in getting new
aircraft faster to market.
Operational modal analysis
Environmental effects and diverse loading conditions
significantly impact the behavior of structures during
operational conditions. The inability to measure input
forces, the influence of temperature/mass changes and the
introduction of non-linearities generally deliver data sets that
are difficult to analyze and set additional challenges to the
identification of structural characteristics. LMS Test.Lab offers
the latest technological developments in the field of modal
parameter estimations allowing structural identification based
on operational data only.
Noise, vibration & comfort analysis
Accurate prediction of the acoustics of an aircraft interior
requires accurate modeling of the different noise transmission
paths, both structureborne and airborne. The random-acoustics
technologies that LMS Virtual.Lab offers make it possible
to calculate the structural behavior of the fuselage due to
a random pressure field acting on its surface. LMS Virtual.
Lab combines multi-layer trim transmission with an interior
acoustic model to accurately predict the interior noise levels
of the aircraft. The specific aero-acoustics capabilities tackle
noise generated from landing gear and flaps in the airflow.
LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com
 Airbus flies with LMS hybrid simulation
solutions based on LMS Test.Lab and LMS Virtual.Lab

LMS Virtual.Lab helps Airbus reducing modeling time for

aircraft derivatives, and analyzing the performance of more
alternative designs. LMS Hybrid Simulation enables Airbus
to improve the accuracy and reliability of simulation models.
LMS Testing Systems support Airbus in acoustic and vibration
testing

The Project Leader in Airbus’ Vibration & Acoustic Department

commented: “LMS CADA-X TMON has proved itself as an
invaluable tool for in-flight data processing. The special
development will enable us to save 50% of the time it used to
take to process our data”.

 Boeing uses LMS solutions to optimize aircraft cabin

acoustics and improve aircraft testing & development

Boeing makes intensive use of LMS software and systems in

the Structural, Wind Tunnel, and Acoustics Departments to
drastically speed up their development tasks.

“In our department, time is money . With LMS, we can rapidly

digest the data during the run and take decisions to re-design
the test on-the-fly”. Bill Graver, Wind Tunnel Manager.

 Cessna accelerates aircraft development

with LMS testing and analysis systems

“The integrated LMS solution is a key tool allowing us to get

the Sovereign to market faster. Without LMS, it would take us
longer to complete the same tasks.”
Craig Mundt, Dynamics Specialist at
Cessna Aircraft Company

 China’s First Aircraft Institute of AVIC-1 selects

LMS Virtual.Lab to develop the ARJ 21

“Through the deployment of LMS Virtual.Lab, designers now

find it quite easy and efficient to perform component analysis
in their well-known CATIA V5 user environment without the
systematic involvement of analysis specialists.”
Dr. Ning Zhen Bo, Vice President of Engineering at FAI

LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering 5

 Ensuring engine reliability and performance

Today’s engine designers need to manage the conflicting goals: increasing performance while reducing fuel consumption and
noise. To meet these challenges, engine designers need better tools to simulate performance prior to prototyping. They have
to define and prepare the tests as much as possible before the prototype is available, and have to acquire and evaluate large
amounts of test data while avoiding errors.

Acoustic & dynamic simulation
With regulations for exterior and interior noise becoming more
stringent, the acoustic performance has to be considered early
in the design process to avoid problems requiring expensive
changes in later stages. LMS Virtual.Lab provides solutions to
efficiently model the noise radiated by the engine and calculate
its contribution to exterior take-off, flyover and landing noise as
well as transmission to the aircraft interior. Dynamic response
can be modeled at the blade, engine section or complete
engine level, making it possible to design a safe, efficient, quiet
engine early in the development process.
data acquisition, fast and accurate data recording with on-line
analysis, automatic alarm capabilities to avoid damage and
accelerated post-processing of large data volumes. A growing
number of jet engine manufacturers and testing facilities have
turned to LMS, because of its state-of-the-art solution and
LMS’ extensive background in noise and vibration testing and
analysis. In addition, LMS offers engineering data management
and collaboration solutions that allow development teams, often
located far away from the testing sites, the capability to retrieve
and validate test data within minutes after the measurement.
Optimizing engine development

Dynamic testing and qualification of jet engines
Testing next-generation jet engines requires the ability to
safely, rapidly and reliably perform highly specialized rigorous
experiments and handle the massive amounts of output data
from strain gauges, dynamic pressure transducers, tachometers,
accelerometers, microphones, and other sensors. Speed and
reliability are absolute necessities in performing these tests
efficiently, in addition to integrated monitoring capabilities and
tools to quickly post-process results. To meet these challenging
demands, LMS Test.lab for jet engine testing combines flexible
In the highly competitive aerospace industry, efficient CAE
simulation and analyses are vital to improving an engine design
and increasing the cost-effectiveness of the development
process. The LMS optimization solutions allow integrating and
optimizing the numerous types of software and systems that
contribute to jet engine development cycle. Those are driving
a combination of in-house code and off-the-shelf software
that usually operate separately for structural calculations,
aerodynamics, combustion, acoustics and thermal analysis. LMS
optimization solutions however allow to run and optimize these
in a single process.

6 LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com

  NPO Saturn selects LMS Test.Lab for
the dynamic testing of jet engines.
“LMS is an essential building block in sustaining the NPO
Saturn capability to carry out the most advanced development
projects of gas turbine machinery. Through the implementation
of the LMS large channel count solution and its extensive
analysis capabilities, we expect our engineers to securely
perform dynamic jet engine testing, while accelerating data
acquisition and test validation, to lead us to maximum return of
our testing facilities.”
Alexander Piontkovsky, Director Information Technologies, NPO Saturn

 INTA provides some of the world’s most advanced jet-

engine testing services based on LMS Test.Lab.
“The LMS Test.Lab system can record as well as analyze
huge amounts of data very reliably. The ability to provide this
level of accurate detail so quickly for specialized tests to our
customers is a definite business value. Engineers have the
information they need at their fingertips for gaining insight on
the behavior of the design through every testing phase.”
Victor Archilla Prat, Manager of INTA’s
Measurement and Instrumentation Group.

 Rolls-Royce plc uses LMS Noise Data Processing tools

Rolls-Royce uses a LMS data analysis solution to efficiently
analyze acoustic data acquired during engine development and
certification tests. The systems enable Rolls-Royce to take in
data from different acquisition systems, define customizable
data reduction techniques, and process analysis sequences
interactively or fully automatically.
“Rolls-Royce plc uses its network of LMS data analysis stations
to accurately and efficiently crunch high volumes of data by
performing a wide range of different analyses.”

 Snecma chooses LMS OPTIMUS for engine development

“LMS OPTIMUS drives both in-house codes and off-the-shelf
software. OPTIMUS allows to explore the design space widely
and to provide multi-physic solutions. LMS OPTIMUS accelerates
our processes and allows us to improve our products.”
David Monteiro-Fernandes, project leader of
the Snecma Optimization project.

LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering 7

 Getting mechanical systems right first time

A major challenge facing engineers designing aerospace mechanical systems is to increase functionality while reducing weight
and improving reliability. The interaction between control systems and mechanical assemblies needs to ensure safety, durability
and stability. Loads at the component and system level need to be accurately calculated long before the prototype phase, while
taking into account the flexibility of the structures involved.

Mechanical systems simulation Fatigue-life prediction

LMS Virtual.Lab provides dynamic and kinematic solutions
that can evaluate the behavior of mechanical systems such as
landing gear, control surfaces, doors, overhead bins, etc., prior
to the availability of a physical prototype. LMS Virtual. Lab
performs multibody simulation of complex systems, while
accounting for the flexibility of components and the operation
of control systems. Loads on components, assemblies and
complete aircraft can be accurately calculated under a wide
range of conditions, for example towing, taxying, symmetric
and asymmetric braking, takeoff and landing. Finally, the
integration of control systems and hydraulics enables systems
engineers to study how aircraft mechanisms will interact with
power hydraulics or electrical actuators.
LMS Virtual.Lab can also be used to predict the component
loads that are required to evaluate the design. These loads are
then used by LMS Virtual.Lab Durability to generate fatigue
life predictions. Local stress concentrations are identified
based on all possible combinations of local load conditions,
making it possible to address durability problems long before
prototypes are built. LMS Virtual.Lab offers a wide range of
methods to determine fatigue life and to localize the weak
spots. These approaches make it easy to predict the fatigue life
of components such as landing gear main fittings. LMS Virtual.
Lab is unique in its ability to easily integrate results from both
virtual prototyping and physical testing.

8 LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com

 Embraer reduces the need for physical test using LMS
multibody simulation
Embraer reduces the need for physical tests and accelerates
design cycle time by creating virtual mockups of the various
mechanical components, systems and parts, verifying
their performance and interaction with other systems and
assemblies of the ERJ 170 and ERJ 190 aircrafts.

 Simulation lands Gulfstream in Russia

Gulfstream selected LMS to simulate and animate the landing
gear systems. The software allows the development of
mechanisms without simplifying assumptions that reduce the
accuracy of specialized landing gear code. LMS multibody
simulation tools also incorporate flexibility of components,
and closed and open loop systems needed to simulate the
performance of the oleopneumatic strut.

 ASCO and the VUB conduct advanced research on how to

re-design safety-critical components of airplanes.
ASCO, a world leader in high-precision mechanisms for
aerospace, the Mechanical Engineering department of the
Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), and LMS investigated ways
to minimize the weight of a slat track, while keeping within
expected lifetime and safety margins. LMS tools determine the
dynamic response and durability performance under varying
loading conditions and define the test spectra.

 VZLÚ uses LMS durability solutions for preparing load

sequences in advanced landing gear fatigue test method.
The Czech Republic’s Aeronautical Research and Test Institute
VZLÚ relies on LMS TecWare and TWR solutions to create
operational load spectra representing typical behavior of
aircraft from taxiing before take off to rolling after landing.
Data blocks represent fatigue test segments which are being
repeatedly replayed to perform landing gear fatigue tests.

 NTSB explores possible causes of aviation

accidents with LMS technology
LMS virtual prototyping solutions help the National
Transportation Safety Board to create detailed simulations of
structures, power plants and systems involved in accidents in
order to explore the possible causes and technical problems
that might have contributed to a failure.

LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering 9

 Analysis, testing and qualification of satellites,
space launchers and components
Space system design involves meeting rigorous environmental constraints and stringent weight requirements. The payload must
be able to withstand the pre-launch, launch and flight path loading while delivering full functionality and avoiding damage to other
critical components.
Multidisciplinary components analysis
All of the equipment brought on board of launch vehicles or
spacecrafts must be designed not only to provide the required
performance during its expected lifetime, but also not to damage
other systems or compromise integrity. LMS Virtual.Lab makes
it possible to quickly evaluate a wide variety of normal and
abnormal conditions so that scarce testing resources can be
conserved for the most severe cases. Test data can easily be
overlaid onto the simulation results, for easy comparison of
loads for example. The component model can be combined with
a model of the supporting structure in order to make realistic
predictions about the performance of the coupled system.
Vibro-acoustic analysis
Spacecraft and their components, within the fairing of a launch
vehicle, suffer extreme vibrational and acoustic loads. The most
severe acoustical conditions are usually met just before lift-off,
when the external acoustic environment is very intense due to
the intense sound waves generated by the rocket jets. Structural
analysts and/or acoustic engineers require accurate, yet
easy-to-use and flexible tools to predict the performance of the
satellite subjected to vibroacoustic loads of a random nature.
10 LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering
LMS Virtual.Lab allows development teams to accurately predict
the vibro-acoustic performance characteristics of aerospace
structures under random loading conditions.
Modal survey tests
LMS Test.Lab provides multichannel data acquisition capabilities
for large scale modal survey testing. Smart transducer
technology minimizes set-up and post-test analysis time.
The same software and hardware environment is used for
qualification and acceptance testing equipments, minimizing
costs and training requirements.
Qualification and acceptance testing
LMS Test.Lab delivers a complete solution for qualification and
acceptance testing on spacecrafts, satellites and instruments.
LMS Test.Lab is designed for parallel acquisition and online
reduction of several hundreds of vibration channels during
random or sine closed loop vibration control testing, in
reverberant rooms, or for high frequency transient capture in
the context of deployment testing. Vibration qualification tests
include sine, random, shock, or combined modes, which can
quickly be configured to represent any environment condition.
LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com
 ESA employs 800 -channel LMS Test.Lab Environmental
system for high-reliability spacecraft qualification and
acceptance testing

“With LMS Test.Lab, we are able to reduce testing throughput

times, while handling twice as many measurement channels
than before.”
Gaétan Piret, Test Manager at ESA’s
Mechanical Engineering Department

 EADS Space Transportation increases productivity of

vibration qualification tests with LMS Test.Lab

“The LMS system offers high-bandwidth channels, with

low noise distortion and phase-shift characteristics, which
guarantee top-class measurement accuracy.”
Arnaud Trimouille, Responsible for
Vibration Testing & Measurement, EADS

 Sopemea deploys multiple LMS Test.Lab systems

forvibration qualification testing

“The LMS system offers accurate control, fast data acquisition,

and real-time analysis capabilities that we require to
successfully handle the increasing volume of testing work.”
Stéphane Torrez, CEO Sopemea

 ESA selects LMS Virtual.Lab Motion to simulate the

dynamic behavior of space systems

“With LMS Virtual.Lab Motion, we are looking forward to

further optimize the way we analyze the dynamic performance
of space systems.”
Patrice Kerhousse, Head of Mechanism Section at
ESA’s Technical Centre ESTEC

 Alenia Spazio optimizes noise and vibration performance

of space systems with LMS simulation software

“Alenia Spazio developed an integrated test/simulation

process, which allows meeting the tightest micro-gravity and
vibro-acoustic requirements inside manned space vehicles.”
Pietro-Carlo Marucchi-Chierro,
Vibro-acoustic & Micro-gravity responsible at Alenia Spazio

LMS International | info@lms.be | www.lmsintl.com LMS Solutions for Aerospace Engineering 11

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