Afgrow

AFGROW - (Air Force Growth ) - Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue Crack Growth Analysis Software is a software for fracture mechanics and crack propagation calculations within the framework of stability testing of metallic materials. It is mainly used in the construction of aircraft and can operate on conventional x86 computers.

The software development was accelerated by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force. Today, it is provided as a free software available from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ).

History

ASDGRO

The root of the software go back to the Crack Growth Life Prediction Program ASDGRO, which was written in the early 1980s in BASIC by Ed Davidson for IBM PCs. In 1985, ASDGRO already the standard software for calculations at the Sikorsky H -53 helicopter family (such as the CH -53) dar.

MODGRO

In 1987, the software was developed to MODGRO V1.X by James Harter of Air Force Wright Aeronautical Laboratories ( AFWAL / FIBEC ) and relaunched in 1989 in Turbo Pascal. NASA used it at the trials of the Grumman X -29 flight patterns for validation and optimization of test flights under extreme loads on the tail.

However, the simultaneous implementation by Dr. George Sendeckyj in C proved to be faster, and was henceforth used. The source code was completely changed in the course of development, the name MODGRO was retained. By 1993, only small changes were made ​​- only the demand of the U.S. Navy for a program to determine the influence of environmental conditions on the damage ability of aircraft brought an evolution in style. The department WL / FIBEC was responsible future. With the adaptation of the code in version 3.0 is a UNIX - interface was created that corresponded to the demand for high processing power.

AFGROW

In 1994, a contract was signed with the Navy again, the call for a renaming of the software following the implementation of the programming of AFGROW began V3.0 for Microsoft Windows 95 in October 1996. Soon, the Windows - optimized hardware had greater power reserves and the support for Unix system was developed in consultation with the competent now AFRL / VASE - finished office. 1997/98 the software for the U.S. Navy FLEET LIFE program at Hawker Siddeley Harrier AV -8 was used. Here also the Microsoft Component Object Model (COM ) server technology was used, which henceforth use on any Windows systems enabled. 1998, the number of end users grew rapidly; the time granted by the Air Force Air Logistics Center ( ALC) development aid and introduced by the Air Force Aging Aircraft Office (ASC / SMS) funding erwirkten further product improvements. A Power Macintosh version was indeed introduced in late 1998 to survey purposes, but immediately set again due to lack of demand. The development work of AFGROW still going on.

Functions

• With the development of Microsoft Windows, the ease of use could be improved. The user is parameter input masks.
• AFGROW can calculate and superimpose several cracks autonomously.
• A tool for calculating gains from carbon fibers involving repair of known cracks in metals allows the determination of the number and direction of the grain of the fabric.