John KlintworthMSC.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. Shape Zone Layup Ply Layup Ply Details Certification

Simulate Simulate Simulate 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

Aerospace Motorsport Automotive Energy Marine LeisureCost 1 1 1 1 2Performance 2Reliability 2Speed (of dev.) 1 2 2 2 1

Key Structural Requirements in Different Industries

11

Modelling

Aerospace Motorsport Automotive Energy Marine LeisureZone y yPly y y y y y y

Use of Modelling Techniques in Different Industries

• 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

Aerospace Motorsport Automotive Energy Marine LeisureDraping y y y y y yForming y yResin Flow y yCuring y

Use of Manufacturing Simulation in Different Industries

13

Structural Simulation

• Linear and failure analyses routine• Crash analyses emerging for motorsport,

automotive• Durability needed but unresolved

Aerospace Motorsport Automotive Energy Marine LeisureStatics/Dynamics y y y y y yFailure Analysis y y y y y yCrash y yDurability y

Use of Structural Simulation in Different Industries

x

ab

Failure Surface in Stress Space

M.o.S = (a-b)/by

14

Optimization

• Topology optimisation under research• Parametric techniques established for

multidisciplinary optimisation• System optimisation growing

Aerospace Motorsport Automotive Energy Marine LeisureTopologyParametric y ySystem y

Use of Optimization Techniques in Different Industries

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– 200000 elements– 2000 plies– 20000 PCOMPS– 200 loadcases

• Solutions– Remove bottlenecks– 2-1000 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. Shape Zone Layup Ply Layup Ply Details Certification Manufacture

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

LAM option New 2001 Membrane Bending Coupling Ply results Comments[A] [B] [D]

BLANK Y Y Y Y Default.SYM Y Y YMEM Y Y Y Wing skins.BEND Y Y YSMEAR Y Y Y Smeared.SMCORE Y Y (core N) Y Smeared with core.

Design Variables

0.00E+00

2.00E-01

4.00E-01

6.00E-01

8.00E-01

1.00E+00

1.20E+00

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50

Design Cycle

Thic

knes

s

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