Date of Award

2026-05-01

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Advisor(s)

Yirong Lin

Abstract

This thesis investigates the use of simulation-driven methods to evaluate the behavior and potential impact of foreign objects within aircraft structures. Foreign Object Damage (FOD) remains a major concern in aerospace safety, as small components unintentionally left inside aircraft compartments can create uncertainty regarding their effect during flight. Although current inspection methods can detect the presence of foreign objects (FOs), they often cannot determine whether these objects pose a significant structural risk, leading to conservative maintenance decisions. To address this limitation, this work develops a simulation-based framework that integrates Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to evaluate airflow behavior and potential structural interactions under representative flight conditions. Flight parameters such as airspeed, altitude, and maneuvering conditions are incorporated to establish realistic simulation boundary conditions. A representative wing model inspired by the Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II is developed using the NACA 64A210 airfoil to provide a realistic aerodynamic and structural foundation for the study. A segmentation strategy is implemented to support both localized and large-scale analysis while maintaining computational efficiency. Additionally, a post-processing framework and interactive user interface (UI) are developed to improve visualization and interpretation of simulation results. The findings demonstrate that simulation-driven approaches can provide valuable insight into foreign object behavior, helping reduce uncertainty and support more informed engineering decisions in aerospace applications.

Language

en

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Size

50 p.

File Format

application/pdf

Rights Holder

Daniela Garcia

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