Objectives:
The objective of this project is to develop analytical and numerical
tools that efficiently predict the behavior of carbon-fiber based
composites in vehicular crash worthiness simulations. This project
focuses specifically on molded polymeric matrix composites, and
considers loading conditions and strain rates that arise in vehicular
impacts.
While the short and intermediate goals are to provide
approaches and numerical methods to simulate automotive components
during impact events using the composite mechanical properties, the
long term goal strives to predict both the mechanical properties and
response of carbon-fiber composites from basic constituent properties,
molding conditions, and the manufacturing technique. This project
continues constitutive material modeling work for glass-fiber
composite materials crashworthiness.
Accomplishments:
Developed constitutive material models for fiber reinforced polymer
composites in automotive crash situations. The developed models have
been successfully used in simulation and prediction of crash behavior
of automotive composite structures at the U.S. automobile companies.
Benefits:
These predictive tools are intended to decrease the design process
time and cost, by reducing component testing, and to increase the
simulation accuracy of carbon-fiber reinforced structures. The tools
are intended to supplement and be run in conjunction with existing
crash simulation software.
What's Next:
The complete progressive damage constitutive models, in conjunction
with structural testing and microscope observations to identify and
classify the complex damage mechanism, will be incorporated into
finite element code such as DYNA3D to solve the large scale problems
for automobile components and systems. Moreover, crush tests for the
composite tube will be performed to determine the validity of the
current damage constitutive models for carbon fiber composites.
Research Partners:
Automotive Composites Consortium
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Acknowledgment
Research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Assistant
Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of
Transportation Technologies, Lightweight Materials Program, under
contract DE-AC05-00OR22725 with UT-Battelle, LLC.
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