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Decoy flares mimic infrared engine signatures of U.S. military aircraft to fool heat-seeking missiles. |
Kilgore Flares Co. LLC, a supplier of decoy flares to the U.S. military, recently began using FEAbased multiphysics software to trim manufacturing costs. FEA software from Algor Inc., Pittsburgh (www.algor.com), will help minimize material rejected during production and improve flare reliability.
The device mimics the infrared engine signature of the aircraft that ejects it.
Hopefully, heat-seeking missiles then chase the flare, not the engine. Variables such as humidity and temperature can lead to production flaws. The variables influence how accurately a decoy flare reproduces the infrared signature of the engine.
"We need software to accurately model complex fluid and thermal phenomena, and to work with Autodesk Inventor and AutoCAD models," says Mark Driver, director of advanced countermeasures technology at Kilgore. "FEA lets engineers without a degree in numerical analysis perform sophisticated multiphysics analyses. The simulations will let us better understand product behavior, quantify the performance envelope, and find solutions more quickly."
— Paul Dvorak
Kilgore uses Algor FEA multiphysics tools to see how flare material behaves in manufacturing. The flare maker expects simulation data to help codify the mixing of chemicals and reduce experimentation. | |