Modeling and Numerical Analysis Laboratory (MAN)

The role of modeling and numerical analysis of mechanical systems has acquired, in the last decades, a considerable importance in almost all engineering sectors. This is particularly true in aerospace engineering where it is now common practice to use computational approaches to study both continuous and discrete mechanical systems both in academic research and in industry.

Correct modeling of mechanical systems is crucial in the design of aerospace systems due to the need for accurate evaluation of their behavior and at the same time requires a reduction in computational costs.
For continuous mechanical systems, the focus is on modeling materials, fluid dynamics phenomena and fluid-structure interactions, also taking into account possible scale or multi-physics phenomena.
Modelling and numerical analysis of discrete mechanical systems is instead used i) to predict the dynamic behaviour of interacting multi-domain components (also taking into account the operating environment and uncertainties) and ii) to design optimal control systems also through the use of heuristic algorithms based on the social behaviour of flocks.
The MAN Modeling and Numerical Analysis laboratory is equipped with high-performance workstations and programming and calculation software for research activities such as Matlab®, Ansys®, Comsol Multiphysics® and LabVIEW.
The numerical modeling and analysis laboratory is also used for teaching activities for students of the Aerospace Engineering degree course, in the areas of “Aerodynamics”, “Flight Mechanics”, “Aerospace Systems”, “Aerospace Constructions and Structures” and “Principles of Flight Simulation”. The activities also include the implementation and analysis of numerical models as part of internships and degree theses.

The research activities carried out at the MAN laboratory are interdisciplinary and range from mathematical modeling to computational analysis of typical problems in aerospace sciences.

Below are the projects and main research activities supported by the MAN laboratory.

• Modeling and analysis of landing gear for vibration studies and active and adaptive control systems for vibration damping.
• Modeling and analysis of active and adaptive flutter control systems using piezoelectric actuators
• Modeling and analysis of adaptive and fault tolerant flight control systems
• The study of optimal and adaptive control systems
• Stochastic robustness analysis of Monte Carlo systems
• Heuristic optimization based on social models of flocks
• The creation of trajectory simulators also for educational purposes
• Modeling and analysis of the human body response to turbulent conditions

• study the influence of porosity on the mechanical response;
• simulate their static, fatigue, creep and fracture behaviour
• to study new and efficient beam-element modeling approaches for lattice structures.