Simulation analysis of nose landing gear fatigue life under aircraft towing taxiing condition

DOI:	10.11809/bqzbgcxb2024.06.034
Keywords:	high speed towing taxiing; nose landing gear; fatigue life; co simulation; fatigue life; co simulation; load spectrum
Abstract:	To make airport operations more efficient and cost effective, a new mode is proposed where aircraft is high speed towed to the takeoff end of the runway by tow tractors. Under this towing taxiing condition, the nose landing gear is subjected to long duration, high speed loads during towing, and is also influenced by the acceleration and braking characteristics of the tow tractor, which may lead to reduced fatigue life. Therefore, it is crucial to analyze the load distribution and verify the fatigue life of the nose landing gear under this condition.Using Adams software, a multibody dynamics model is established to simulate real operating conditions, and the load spectrum of the nose landing gear is obtained by simulating the tow tractor aircraft system at different towing speeds. Combining the finite element model of the nose landing gear with static analysis and load spectrum, the fatigue life of the nose landing gear is calculated using the frequency domain fatigue analysis method in nCode software. The results indicate that the large loads generated during high speed towing taxiing intensify fatigue damage in the nose landing gear, and the fatigue damage propagates from the strut ears to the drag brace, resulting in a three order reduction in fatigue life. Structural optimization of the drag brace of the nose landing gear is required. This research provides valuable reference for the fatigue life and structural optimization of the nose landing gear under the new towing taxiing mode.
Published:	2024-06-28
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