John Klintworth MSC.Software Ltd. Evolving Composites Simulation Requirements and Solutions

2 Industry Trends Lower Carbon Fibre Costs Sheet Material Replacing Random Fibres Heavier Sheet Reinforcement Weights –Fewer Plies for Required Performance New Markets, e.g. Automotive, Energy BUT: Manufacturing Difficulties –Need more manufacturing simulation Less Redundant Material –Need more structural simulation

3 Development Process Aero. ShapeZone LayupPly LayupPly DetailsCertification Simulate Manufacture OK! feedback loop...

4 Aerospace Wheel cover >100 Plies modelled in CAD Transferred to CAE automatically Benefits: –Correlation between CAD and CAE –Verification and failure tools in CAE

5 Motorsport Monocoque > 1000 Plies, > 100K elements Quick turnaround Benefits: –Rapid modification –Manufacturing link –Failure analysis –Crash model

6 Automotive Floorpan Cheap, heavy fabrics Manufacturing critical Benefits: –Predict producibility rapidly –Account for stiffness and strength of sheared material

7 Marine America’s Cup Yacht High performance Variable loading Benefits: –Ply based model –Automated generation –Failure analysis –Manufacturing link Stress Contours under Upwind Loads By courtesy of Team NZ & Matrix Applied Computing Ltd.

8 Energy Wind Turbine Blade Up to 40 m long Lowest cost Local buckling, flutter Benefits: –Modify materials easily –Multiple analysis codes –Manufacturing data

9 Leisure Helmet Fabric reinforcement Sandwich construction Must reduce cost Benefits: –Simulate manufacture –Account for shear-induced thickening

10 Simulation Drivers Each industry has different structural requirements These affect the degree of modelling and simulation used

11 Modelling Ply modelling used throughout industries –Rapid modification –Link to manufacture Zone modelling used for preliminary sizing

12 Manufacturing Simulation Draping is now used universally Forming only useful for extreme cases Resin flow simulation in marine market Curing limited to aerospace

13 Structural Simulation Linear and failure analyses routine Crash analyses emerging for motorsport, automotive Durability needed but unresolved xx a b Failure Surface in Stress Space M.o.S = (a-b)/b yy

14 Optimization Topology optimisation under research Parametric techniques established for multidisciplinary optimisation System optimisation growing

15 Evolving Requirements Larger Models Better Verification Automated Data Transfer Mirroring/Rotation Solid Analysis Nonlinear Analysis Crash & Crush Analysis Quicker Sizing Account for Material Shear

16 Larger Models Requirements – elements –2000 plies –20000 PCOMPS –200 loadcases Solutions –Remove bottlenecks – x faster

17 Better Verification Requirements –Audit model Solutions –Show Layup Element Cross Section –Show Laminate

18 Automated Data Transfer Requirements –Speed up ply import –Import and export laminates –Export flow model Solution –CAD Ply import 1000x faster –LAP interface –RTM-Worx interface

19 LAP interface Import materials and laminates during zone definition Export materials, laminates and loads during certification Aero. ShapeZone LayupPly LayupPly DetailsCertificationManufacture

20 RTM-Worx interface Export materials, plies and layup Both warp and weft directions considered Simulate resin flow for RTM Curing analysis

21 ESAComp interface Import materials and laminates during zone definition Export materials, laminates and loads during certification

22 Mirroring/Rotation Requirement –Reduce modelling time for symmetrical structures Solution: –Transform Layup Mirror

23 Account for Material Shear Requirements –Account for shear Solution –Reference sheared material properties

24 Requirements –Solid model for thermal analysis Solution –Extrude solids –Calculate equivalent material –Create coordinate frames Solid Analysis

25 Nonlinear Analysis Requirements –Support MSC.Marc Solution –Update preference

26 Crash & Crush Analysis Requirements –Support MSC.Dytran, LS-DYNA, Pamcrash Solution –Update preferences Element Failure Time

27 Quicker Sizing Requirements –Smeared Laminate –Discrete variables Solution –In MSC.Nastran 2001

28 Conclusions Simulation drivers vary widely across industries Ply modeling and kinematic draping are now universally accepted Resin flow and curing simulation show potential Crash and durability analysis developing rapidly Formal optimisation methods promise improved sizing