This is how Prof. Sylvester Pino from University College London described his research, which uses XNUMXD simulations, during the Science in the age of Experience conference held by Dassault Systèmes in Boston
Simulation will pave the way for the production of composite materials with bespoke properties. This is how Prof. Sylvester Pino from University College London described his research, which uses XNUMXD simulations, during the Science in the Age of Experience conference held by Dassault Systèmes in Boston.
Sylvester Pino is Professor of Mechanics, Composites and Engineering and a Research Council Member in the Physical Sciences at University College London. In his lecture he examined different ways of using the ABAQUS software as a convenient platform for implementing new numerical methods for structural design. The goal is to build composite materials whose properties match the designers' requirements, and especially with maximum strength and minimum weight, when the simulation helps to choose the right mix.
Like many of the speakers at the conference, Prof. Pino referred to the need to build a multidimensional model of the material in all orders of magnitude because the behavior of the material at the quantum level and the microscopic level affect its properties at the level of the complete system.
Prof. Pino examines composite materials built from a layer of strong material that wraps like a sandwich of reinforced fibers. An example of this was the rotor wing of a helicopter, which today is made of such materials, and which should withstand being hit by birds and the multitude of other materials that may be found at low altitude. He divided it into four stages - the microscopic level, and its effect on the macroscopic level and all the stages in between.
What determines the properties of the fiber, among other things, is the arrangement of the layers of the fibers and their connection to the matrix, when the connection of the layers to each other is done so that the fibers in each layer are inclined at a different angle. And finally he also examines how the big matter behaves.
The directionality of the fibers in each layer of the composite material allows Prof. Pino to build more resistant materials against pressures that cause cracks. He developed a model that mimics the crack propagation behavior within the composite material. He created an equation that allows the body to split itself when it reaches the states derived from the desired properties and allows one to have a crack in the simulation without forcing its location in advance. Here we play with a limited number of equations, which make it possible to reduce the computing power needed to solve a problem that is actually a continuous and infinite problem.
At the same time as the simulation, he also performed real experiments with composite materials and examined, among other things, how the material behaves against forces such as pulling, bending, shearing, etc. He can take the strain and calculate pressures from it and by the component he created he causes these splits and he can model the cracks both in the geographical space and on the timeline.
The directionality of the fiber allows Prof. Pino to optimize the amount of layers, the weight of the layers, their density, the composition of the materials, and more, thus creating a material with desired properties according to a mix of these properties. He can produce an optimal wing for the user's needs - more weight or less weight, ability to move in an environment full of objects such as sand, dust, birds, trees and more.
However, Prof. Pino emphasized that the road to real-world application is still far away, but whoever produces such materials will be able to prove their necessity and effectiveness.
Thanks to Dr. Gil Sharon from DfR SOLUTION from Maryland for his help in popularizing Pinot's lecture.
