MARQUESS · Project

Software That Lets Aircraft Designers Stress-Test Structures Without Expensive Full-Scale Simulations

transportTestedTRL 5Thin data (2/5)

nottingham.ac.uk

Imagine you're designing an airplane wing and need to check if it can handle turbulence, landing stress, and years of wear — but running a full computer simulation of the entire structure takes weeks and costs a fortune. MARQUESS built software that lets engineers zoom in on problem spots at a microscopic level while still seeing the big picture of the whole aircraft part. Think of it like Google Maps for structural stress: you can see the whole country, then zoom into a single street where you suspect trouble. The tools were tested on two real aircraft demonstrator structures in the Clean Sky 2 programme.

By the numbers

Clean Sky Demonstrators used for validation

consortium partner (University of Nottingham, UK)

total project deliverables

online software repository with source code delivered

The business problem

What needed solving

Aircraft designers face a painful trade-off: running detailed structural simulations on entire airframes is extremely expensive and slow, but skipping the detail risks missing critical stress points that could lead to structural failure or over-engineering (adding unnecessary weight). This is especially acute with advanced composites and nano-materials, where material behavior at microscopic scales directly affects full-structure performance but is nearly impossible to model at full scale with conventional tools.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered a multi-scale simulation software suite with source code, housed in an online repository. Key outputs include meso and macro-scale modeling strategies, hot-spot detection criteria, validation models with test results, and a user manual with worked examples. The tools were tested on two Clean Sky aircraft demonstrator structures covering both composite and metallic materials.

Audience

Who needs this

Aircraft OEMs and Tier 1 aerostructure suppliers (Airbus, Spirit AeroSystems, GKN Aerospace)Composite material manufacturers seeking structural validation for aerospace certificationCAE and simulation software companies wanting to add multi-scale aerospace capabilitiesMRO providers needing better structural assessment tools for aging aircraftAerospace engineering consultancies running structural analysis for certification programs

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aerospace Manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Aircraft structure designers and OEM engineering teams

If you are an aircraft manufacturer dealing with long simulation times and high computational costs when analyzing composite airframe parts — this project developed multi-scale modeling software that connects micro-level material behavior to full-structure performance. It was validated on two Clean Sky Demonstrators and includes source code, models, and a user manual. This could cut your design iteration cycles significantly by letting you run detailed analysis only where it matters.

Composite Materials & Advanced Manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Composite material suppliers and fabricators for aerospace

If you are a composites supplier needing to prove your materials perform safely in full aircraft structures — this project built simulation tools that trace how nano-materials and composites behave from the fiber level up to entire airframe sections. The software was developed at the University of Nottingham with experience across aero-engine parts, landing gear, and bulkheads. It gives you quantitative evidence to back your material claims.

Engineering Simulation & CAE Software

any

Target: Simulation software companies and CAE service providers

If you are an engineering software company looking to expand your aerospace structural analysis capabilities — this project produced an open-source multi-scale modeling toolkit with documented source code, validation models, and a user manual. It was specifically designed for the Clean Sky 2 programme covering both composite and metallic materials. Integrating these methods could differentiate your product in the aerospace CAE market.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt this software?

The project delivered an online repository with source code and a user manual, suggesting open or academic licensing. Specific licensing terms are not stated in the available project data. Contact the University of Nottingham to discuss commercial use terms.

Can this work at industrial scale for full aircraft programs?

The tools were applied to two Clean Sky Demonstrators, which are industry-relevant aircraft platforms. The explicit goal was to reduce the effort and computational resources needed compared to full detailed modeling of entire structures. However, scaling beyond these demonstrators would require further validation.

Who owns the intellectual property?

The University of Nottingham is the sole consortium partner and likely IP holder. Since this was a Clean Sky 2 project, Airbus or other topic managers may have specific usage rights under the Joint Undertaking agreement. IP terms would need to be clarified directly with the coordinator.

Does this work with both composite and metallic materials?

Yes. The project objective explicitly states the tools cover both composite and metallic materials. The University of Nottingham has experience analyzing aero-engine parts, landing gear components, and bulkheads across both material types.

How mature is the software — is it ready to use today?

The project delivered working software with source code, a user manual with examples, and validation results from preliminary system tests on two demonstrators. This puts it beyond proof-of-concept but likely still needs adaptation for production engineering workflows. Based on available project data, expect a tool that works but requires integration effort.

What specific aircraft components was this tested on?

The objective mentions experience with aero-engine parts, landing gear components, and bulkheads. The multi-scale tools were applied to two Clean Sky Demonstrators within the Large Passenger Aircraft platform. Specific component identities are not disclosed in the public data.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a single-partner project run entirely by the University of Nottingham — a respected aerospace research institution with experience across aero-engine parts, landing gear, and bulkheads. The absence of industry partners in the consortium (0% industry ratio) is notable, though the Clean Sky 2 programme inherently involves major aerospace companies like Airbus as topic managers. For a business considering adoption, this means the technology comes from a strong academic pedigree but has not yet been co-developed with or validated by a commercial engineering team. Expect solid science but plan for integration work.

THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAMCoordinator · UK

How to reach the team

University of Nottingham, Aerospace Research Group — search for MARQUESS project lead in their faculty directory

Order a report on this consortium See THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

SciTransfer can connect you with the MARQUESS team and help assess whether their multi-scale simulation tools fit your structural analysis workflow.

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