Exploration on the Optimization Strategy for the Layup of Composite Material Pressure Vessels Based on Advanced Algorithms

This study aims to explore the influence of the laying angle on the pressure shell structure made of composite materials under the condition of a fixed shape. By using a composite material composed of a mixture of T800 carbon fiber and AG80 epoxy resin to design pressure vessels, this material combination can significantly improve the interlaminar shear strength and heat resistance. The article elaborates on the basic concepts and failure criteria of composite materials, such as the maximum stress criterion, the maximum strain criterion, the Tsai-Hill criterion, etc. With the help of the APDL parametric modeling language, the arc-shaped, parabolic, elliptical, and fitting curve-shaped pressure vessel models are accurately constructed, and the material property settings and mesh division are completed. Subsequently, APDL is used for static analysis, and the genetic algorithm toolbox built into Matlab is combined to carry out optimization calculations to determine the optimal laying angle. The research results show that the equivalent stress corresponding to the optimal laying angle of the arc-shaped pressure vessel is 5.3685e+08 Pa, the elliptical one is 5.1969e+08 Pa, the parabolic one is 5.8692e+08 Pa, and the fitting curve-shaped one is 5.36862e+08 Pa. Among them, the stress distribution of the fitting curve-shaped pressure vessel is relatively more uniform, with a deformation of 0.568E−03 m, a minimum equivalent stress value of 0.261E+09 Pa, a maximum equivalent stress value of 0.537E+09 Pa, and a ratio of 0.48, which conforms to the equivalent stress criterion. In addition, the fitting curve of this model can adapt to various models and has higher practical value. However, the stress distribution of the elliptical and parabolic pressure vessels is uneven, and their applicability is poor. In the future, further exploration can be conducted on the application of the fitting curve model in composite materials to optimize the design of pressure vessels. This study provides important theoretical support and practical guidance for the design of composite material pressure vessels.

Multi-scale Modeling of the Effective Chloride Ion Diffusion Coefficient in Cement-based Composite Materials

N-layered spherical inclusions model was used to calculate the effective diffusion coefficient of chloride ion in cement-based materials by using multi-scale method and then to investigate the relationship between the diffusivity and the microstructure of cement-basted materials where the microstructure included the interfacial transition zone （ITZ） between the aggregates and the bulk cement pastes as well as the microstructure of the bulk cement paste itself. For the convenience of applications, the mortar and concrete were considered as a four-phase spherical model, consisting of cement continuous phase, dispersed aggregates phase, interface transition zone and their homogenized effective medium phase. A general effective medium equation was established to calculate the diffusion coefficient of the hardened cement paste by considering the microstructure. During calculation, the tortuosity （n） and constrictivity factors （Ds/Do） of pore in the hardened pastes are n^3.2, Ds/Do=l.Ox 10-4 respectively from the test data. The calculated results using the n-layered spherical inclusions model are in good agreement with the experimental results; The effective diffusion coefficient of ITZ is 12 times that of the bulk cement for mortar and 17 times for concrete due to the difference between particle size distribution and the volume fraction of aggregates in mortar and concrete.

Finite element simulation of the micromachining of nanosized-silicon-carbide-particle reinforced composite materials based on the cohesive zone model

A finite element method based on the cohesive zone model was used to study the micromachining process of nanosized silicon-carbide-particle(SiCp) reinforced aluminum matrix composites. As a hierarchical multiscale simulation method, the parameters for the cohesive zone model were obtained from the stress-displacement curves of the molecular dynamics simulation. The model considers the random properties of the siliconcarbide-particle distribution and the interface of bonding between the silicon carbide particles and the matrix.The machining mechanics was analyzed according to the chip morphology, stress distribution, cutting temperature, and cutting force. The simulation results revealed that the random distribution of nanosized SiCp causes non-uniform interaction between the tool and the reinforcement particles. This deformation mechanics leads to inhomogeneous stress distribution and irregular cutting force variation.

A Biomimetic Model of Fiber-reinforced Composite Materials

In thjs paper. bamboo fiber has been. on micro scale. investigated as a helical. multi-layered hollow cylinder, the stiffness featu res of bamboo bast fiber were compared with those of a multifilament yarn in traditional fiber-reinforced composite materials, Moreover. a biomimetic model of the reinforce ment of fiber-reinforced composite materials was proposed by imitating the fine structure of bamboo bast fiber. The results show that the comprehensive stiffness properties of the cornplicated fine struc ture of bamboo fiber is superior over those of traditional fiber-reinforced composites.

Research on Fatigue Damage Behavior of Main Beam Sub-Structure of Composite Wind Turbine Blade

Given the difficulty in accurately evaluating the fatigue performance of large composite wind turbine blades(referred to as blades),this paper takes the main beam structure of the blade with a rectangular cross-sectionas the simulation object and establishes a composite laminate rectangular beam structure that simultaneouslyincludes the flange,web,and adhesive layer,referred to as the blade main beam sub-structure specimen,throughthe definition of blade sub-structures.This paper examines the progressive damage evolution law of the compositelaminate rectangular beam utilizing an improved 3D Hashin failure criterion,cohesive zone model,B-K failurecriterion,and computer simulation technology.Under static loading,the layup angle of the anti-shear web hasa close relationship with the static load-carrying capacity of the composite laminate rectangular beam;under fatigueloading,the fatigue damage will first occur in the lower flange adhesive area of the whole composite laminaterectangular beam and ultimately result in the fracture failure of the entire structure.These results provide a theoreticalreference and foundation for evaluating and predicting the fatigue performance of the blade main beamstructure and even the full-size blade.

Simulating Resin Infusion through Textile Reinforcement Materials for the Manufacture of Complex Composite Structures

Increasing demand for weight reduction and greater fuel efficiency continues to spur the use of composite materials in commercial aircraft structures. Subsequently, as composite aerostructures become larger and more complex, traditional autoclave manufacturing methods are becoming prohibitively expensive. This has prompted renewed interest in out-of-autoclave processing techniques in which resins are introduced into a reinforcing preform. However, the success of these resin infusion methods is highly dependent upon operator skill and experience, particularly in the development of new manufacturing strategies for complex parts. Process modeling, as a predictive computational tool, aims to address the issues of reliability and waste that result from traditional trial-and-error approaches. Basic modeling attempts, many of which are still used in industry, generally focus on simulating fluid flow through an isotropic porous reinforcement material. How- ever, recent efforts are beginning to account for the multiscale and multidisciplinary complexity of woven materials, in simulations that can provide greater fidelity. In particular, new multi-physics process models are able to better predict the infusion behavior through textiles by considering the effect of fabric deformation on permeability and porosity properties within the reinforcing material. In addition to reviewing pre- vious research related to process modeling and the current state of the art, this paper highlights the recent validation of a multi-physics process model against the experimental infusion of a complex double dome component. By accounting for deformation-dependent flow behavior, the multi-physics process model was able to predict realistic flow behavior, demonstrating considerable improvement over basic isotropic permeability models.

Co-continuous Composite Material Design Using the Volumetric Distance Field Based on Analytic Shape Functions

An effective and simple design method for co-continuous composite material construction is proposed by using a hybrid methodology with triply periodic minimal surface( TPMS) cellular topology and the volumetric distance field( VDF). After generating a set of VDF-based features for the given exterior shape and desired internal core structure,a series of simple modifications in distance fields enabled us to obtain an arbitrarily-shaped complex co-continuous composite material computational model. Design results and manufactured prototypes through 3 D printing technology show that the proposed methodology has the potential to open a new paradigm for producing multifunctional next generation co-continuous composite materials which are impossible to design and manufacture using traditional CAD and CAM.

Nonlinear stability of advanced sandwich cylindrical shells comprising porous functionally graded material and carbon nanotube reinforced composite layers under elevated temperature

The nonlinear stability of sandwich cylindrical shells comprising porous functionally graded material(FGM) and carbon nanotube reinforced composite(CNTRC)layers subjected to uniform temperature rise is investigated. Two sandwich models corresponding to CNTRC and FGM face sheets are proposed. Carbon nanotubes(CNTs) in the CNTRC layer are embedded into a matrix according to functionally graded distributions. The effects of porosity in the FGM and the temperature dependence of properties of all constituent materials are considered. The effective properties of the porous FGM and CNTRC are determined by using the modified and extended versions of a linear mixture rule, respectively. The basic equations governing the stability problem of thin sandwich cylindrical shells are established within the framework of the Donnell shell theory including the von K’arm’an-Donnell nonlinearity. These equations are solved by using the multi-term analytical solutions and the Galerkin method for simply supported shells.The critical buckling temperatures and postbuckling paths are determined through an iteration procedure. The study reveals that the sandwich shell model with a CNTRC core layer and relatively thin porous FGM face sheets can have the best capacity of thermal load carrying. In addition, unlike the cases of mechanical loads, porosities have beneficial effects on the nonlinear stability of sandwich shells under the thermal load. It is suggested that an appropriate combination of advantages of FGM and CNTRC can result in optimal efficiency for advanced sandwich structures.

High permeability and bimodal resonance structure of flaky soft magnetic composite materials

We establish a theoretical bimodal model for the complex permeability of flaky soft magnetic composite materials to explain the variability of their initial permeability.The new model is motivated by finding the two natural resonance peaks to be inconsistent with the combination of the domain wall resonance and the natural resonance.In the derivation of the model,two relationships are explored:the first one is the relationship between the number of magnetic domains and the permeability,and the second one is the relationship between the natural resonance and the domain wall resonance.This reveals that the ball milling causes the number of magnetic domains to increase and the maximum initial permeability to exist after 10 h of ball milling.An experiment is conducted to demonstrate the reliability of the proposed model.The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical calculations.This new model is of great significance for studying the mechanism and applications of the resonance loss for soft magnetic composite materials in high frequency fields.

Properties and interfacial microstructure of cement-based materials with composite micro-grains

Silica fume, fly ash and nano-fiber mineral materials (NR powder) are employed to incorporate into cement-based materials. According to the grain grading mathematical model of cement-based materials, two packing systems, namely, spherical grading system and nano-fiber reinforced system were designed. Properties and interfacial microstructure of the two systems were studied according to secondary interface theory. It was shown that nano-fiber mineral materials can improve the grain grading of the admixture, increase the density of the system, improve the microstructure of the interface and the hardened paste, and enhance the uniformity of cement-based materials mixed with composite micro-grains and greatly increase their wearable rigidity and flexure strength. In this paper, two kinds of interface models, including spherical grain model and nano-fiber reinforced interface model of the cement-based materials mixed with composite micro-grains, were brought forward.

Model of fractured medium and nondestructive control of composite materials

Non-destructive testing of composites is an important issue in the modern aircraft industry.Composites are susceptible to the barely visible impact damage which can affect the residual strength of the material and occurs both during production and operation.The continuum model for describing the damaged zone is presented.The slip theory relations used for a continuous distribution of slip planes are applied.At the initial stage,the isotropic background model is used.This model allows the material slippage along the fractures based on the Coulomb friction law with the small viscous addition.In this regime,the govern system of equations becomes rigid.To overcome this difficulty,the explicit-implicit grid-characteristic scheme is proposed.The standard ultrasound diagnostic procedure of damaged composite materials is successfully simulated.Compared with the trivial free-surface fracture model,different reactions on the compression and stretch waves are registered.This approach provided an effective way for the simulation of complex dynamic behavior of damage zones.

Modeling of material deformation behavior in micro-forming under consideration of individual grain heterogeneity

This study aims to develop a model to characterize the inhomogeneous material deformation behavior in micro-forming.First,the influence of individual grain heterogeneity on the deformation behavior of CuZn20 foils was investigated via tensile and micro-hardness tests.The results showed that different from thick sheets,the hardening behavior of grains in the deformation area of thin foils is not uniform.The flow stress of thin foils actually only reflects the average hardening behavior of several easy-deformation-grains,which is the reason that thinner foils own smaller flow stress.Then,a composite modeling method under consideration of individual grain heterogeneity was developed,where the effects of grain orientation and shape are quantitatively represented by the method of flow stress classification and Voronoi tessellation,respectively.This model provides an accurate and effective method to analyze the influence of individual grain heterogeneity on the deformation behavior of the micro-sized material.

3D Nonlinear XFEM Simulation of Delamination in Unidirectional Composite Laminates: A Sensitivity Analysis of Modeling Parameters

This article presents a three-dimensional extended finite element (XFEM) approach for numerical simulation of delamination in unidirectional composites under fracture mode I. A cohesive zone model in front of the crack tip is used to include interface material nonlinearities. To avoid instability during simulations, a critical cohesive zone length is defined such that user-defined XFEM elements are only activated along the crack tip inside this zone. To demonstrate the accuracy of the new approach, XFEM results are compared to a set of benchmark experimental data from the literature as well as conventional FEM, mesh free, and interface element approaches. To evaluate the effect of modeling parameters, a set of sensitivity analyses have also been performed on the penalty stiffness factor, critical cohesive zone length, and mesh size. It has been discussed how the same model can be used for other fracture modes when both opening and contact mechanisms are active.

Comparison of wear behavior of ABS and Nylon6-Fe powder composite parts prepared with fused deposition modelling

Fused deposition modeling(FDM) is one of the latest rapid prototyping techniques in which parts can be manufactured at a fast pace and are manufactured with a high accuracy. This research work is carried out to study the friction and wear behavior of parts made of newly developed Nylon6-Fe composite material by FDM. This work also involves the comparison of the friction and wear characteristics of the Nylon6-Fe composite with the existing acrylonitrile butadiene styrene(ABS) filament of the FDM machine. This Is carried out on the pin on disk setup by varying the load(5, 10, 15 and 20 N) and speed(200 and 300 r/min). It is concluded that the newly developed composite is highly wear resistant and can be used in industrial applications where wear resistance is of paramount importance. Morphology of the surface in contact with the Nylon6-Fe composite and ABS is also carried out.

A new elastoplastic model for bolt-grouted fractured rock

Complexities in mechanical behaviours of rock masses mainly stem from inherent discontinuities,which calls for advanced bolt-grouting techniques for stability enhancement.Understanding the mechanical properties of bolt-grouted fractured rock mass(BGFR)and developing accurate prediction methods are crucial to optimize the BGFR support strategies.This paper establishes a new elastoplastic(E-P)model based on the orthotropic and the Mohr-Coulomb(M-C)plastic-yielding criteria.The elastic parameters of the model were derived through a meso-mechanical analysis of composite materials mechanics(CMM).Laboratory BGFR specimens were prepared and uniaxial compression test and variable-angle shear test considering different bolt arrangements were carried out to obtain the mechanical parameters of the specimens.Results showed that the anisotropy of BGFR mainly depends on the relative volume content of each component material in a certain direction.Moreover,the mechanical parameters deduced from the theory of composite materials which consider the short fibre effect are shown to be in good agreement with those determined by laboratory experiments,and the variation rules maintained good consistency.Last,a case study of a real tunnel project is provided to highlight the effectiveness,validity and robustness of the developed E-P model in prediction of stresses and deformations.

Concurrent Material Selection of Natural Fibre Filament for Fused Deposition Modeling Using Integration of Analytic Hierarchy Process/Analytic Network Process

The employment of natural fibres in fused deposition modeling has raised much attention from researchers in finding a suitable formulation for the natural fibre composite filaments.Moreover,selection of suitable natural fibres for fused deposition modeling should be performed before the development of the composites.It could not be performed without identifying selection criteria that comprehend both materials and fused deposition modeling process requirements.Therefore,in this study,integration of the Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP)/Analytic Network Process(ANP)has been introduced in selecting the natural fibres based in different clusters of selection concurrently.The selection process has been performed based on the interdependency among the selection criteria.Pairwise comparison matrices are constructed based on AHP’s hierarchical model and super matrices are constructed based on the ANP’s network model.As a result,flax fibre has ranked at the top of the selection by scored 19.5%from the overall evaluation.Flax fibre has excellent material properties and been found in various natural fibre composite applications.Further investigation is needed to study the compatibility of this fibre to be reinforced with a thermoplastic polymer matrix to develop a resultant natural fibre composite filament for fused deposition modeling.

3D Model Simulating the Hydro-mechanical State of Unsaturated and Deformable Material during Hot air Drying

A three dimensional model to predict the hydro-mechanical state of unsaturated and deformable material during hot air drying has been proposed.The material viscoelastic behaviour was formulated using Bishop’s effective stress theory for partially saturated material using the liquid saturation as the Bishop parameter.The hydro-thermal and mechanical equations were coupled by the fluid pressure and the solid matter velocity.The model was applied to a deformable material(innovative clay-cellulose fibers composite)subjected to convective drying.A generalized Maxwell model with five elements,whose parameters were measured experimentally and correlated to water content was used to describe the material’s viscoelastic behavior.The hydro-thermal part of the proposed model was validated on the basis of a comparison of experimental and simulated drying rate curves.The Von Mises stress was simulated and compared to the experimental tensile strength in order to predict the time and the region of material failure.For a drying process at 95°C,the region of failure risk was identified.The failure may occur on the lateral surface of the slab in contact with air at a drying time of 2.5h.

Neural Network Approach to Modelling the Behaviour of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites in Dry Environments

Ionic polymer-metal composites (IPMCs) are especially interesting electroactive polymers because they show large a deformation in the presence of a very low driving voltage (around 1 - 2 V) and several applications have recently been proposed. Normally a humid environment is required for the best operation, although some IPMCs can operate in a dry environment, after proper encapsulation or if a solid electrolyte is used in the manufacturing process. However, such solutions usually lead to increasing mechanical stiffness and to a reduction of actuation capabilities. In this study we focus on the behaviour of non-encapsulated IPMCs as actuators in dry environments, in order to obtain relevant information for design tasks linked to the development of active devices based on this kind of smart material. The non-linear response obtained in the characterisation tests is especially well-suited to modelling these actuators with the help of artificial neural networks (ANNs). Once trained with the help of characterisation data, such neural networks prove to be a precise simulation tool for describing IPMC response in dry environments.

Microstructure-based three-dimensional characterization of chip formation and surface generation in the machining of particulate-reinforced metal matrix composites

Particulate-reinforced metal matrix composites(PRMMCs)are difficult to machine due to the inclusion of hard,brittle reinforcing particles.Existing experimental investigations rarely reveal the complex material removal mechanisms(MRMs)involved in the machining of PRMMCs.This paper develops a three-dimensional(3D)microstructure-based model for investigating the MRM and surface integrity of machined PRMMCs.To accurately mimic the actual microstructure of a PRMMC,polyhedrons were randomly distributed inside the matrix to represent irregular SiC particles.Particle fracture and matrix deformation and failure were taken into account.For the model’s capability comparison,a two-dimensional(2D)analysis was also conducted.Relevant cutting experiments showed that the established 3D model accurately predicted the material removal,chip morphology,machined surface finish,and cutting forces.It was found that the matrix-particle-tool interactions led to particle fractures,mainly in the primary shear and secondary deformation zones along the cutting path and beneath the machined surface.Particle fracture and dilodegment greatly influences the quality of a machined surface.It was also found that although a 2D model can reflect certain material removal features,its ability to predict microstructural variation is limited.

An engineering analysis of penetration of metal ball into fibre-reinforced composite targets

An engineering analysis of computing the penetration problem of a steel ball penetrating into fibre-reinforced composite targets is presented. Assume the metal ball is a rigid body, and the composite target is a transversely isotropic elasto-plastic material. In the analysis, a spherical cavity dilatation model is incorporated in the cylindrical cavity penetration method. Simulation results based on the modified model are in good agreement with the results for 3-D Kevlar woven （3DKW） composite anti-penetration experiments. Effects of the target material parameters and impact parameters on the penetration problem are also studied.