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At least 199 records · Page 11

Fully Coupled Aero-Thermochemical-Elastic Simulations of an Eroding Graphite Nozzle

A multiphysics simulation capability has been developed that incorporates mutual interactions between aerodynamics, structural response from aero/thermal loading, ablation/pyrolysis, heating, and surface-to-surface radiation to perform high-fidelity, fully coupled aerothermoelastic ablation simulations, which to date had been unattainable. The multiphysics framework couples CHAR (a 3-D implicit charring ablator solver), Loci/CHEM (a computational fluid dynamics solver for high-speed chemically reacting flows), and Abaqus (a nonlinear structural dynamics solver) to create a fully coupled aerothermoelastic charring ablative solver. The solvers are tightly coupled in a fully integrated fashion to resolve the effects of the ablation pyrolysis and charring process and chemistry products upon the flow field, the changes in surface geometry due to recession upon the flow field, and thermal-structural analysis of the body from the induced aerodynamic heating from the flow field. The multiphysics framework was successfully demonstrated on a solid rocket motor graphite nozzle erosion application. Comparisons were made with available experimental data that measured the throat erosion during the motor firing. The erosion data is well characterized, as the test rig was equipped with a windowed nozzle section for real-time X-ray radiography diagnostics of the instantaneous throat variations for deducing the instantaneous erosion rates. The nozzle initially undergoes a nozzle contraction due to thermal expansion before ablation effects are able to widen the throat. A series of parameters studies were conducted using the coupled simulation capability to determine the sensitivity of the nozzle erosion to different parameters. The parameter studies included the shape of the nozzle throat (flat versus rounded), the material properties, the effect of the choice of turbulence model, and the inclusion or exclusion of the mechanical thermal expansion. Overall, the predicted results match the experiment very well, and the predictions were able to bound the data within acceptable limits.

Blades, E. L.↗

Influence of Thin-Film Adhesives in Pullout Tests Between Nickel-Titanium Shape Memory Alloy and Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

Strips of nickel-titanium (NiTi) shape memory alloy (SMA) and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite (PMC) were bonded together using multiple thin film adhesives and their mechanical strengths were evaluated under pullout test configuration. Tensile and lap shear tests were conducted to confirm the deformation of SMAs at room temperature and to evaluate the adhesive strength between the NiTi strips and the PMC. Optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques were used to examine the interfacial bonding after failure. Simple equations on composite tensile elongation were used to fit the experimental data on tensile properties. ABAQUS models were generated to show the effects of enhanced bond strength and the distribution of stress in SMA and PMC. The results revealed that the addition of thin film adhesives increased the average adhesive strength between SMA and PMC while halting the room temperature shape memory effect within the pullout specimen.

Polymer Matrix Composites↗

From S-N to the Paris Law with a New Mixed-Mode Cohesive Fatigue Model

The relationship between fatigue life and fatigue crack propagation rate is explored with a new cohesive damage model. The parameters of the model are obtained from idealizations of S-N diagrams used in engineering design. The model is based on the hypothesis that both stable tearing damage and damage due to cyclic loading are representations of a density of microcracks and, therefore, a single damage variable can describe the state of damage. This assumption implies that the quasi-static cohesive law that describes tearing is also the envelope of the fatigue damage. Fatigue damage within the cohesive envelope is assumed to accumulate at a rate that depends on the displacement jumps. The fatigue model was implemented as a UMAT subroutine for Abaqus cohesive elements by adding fatigue damage accumulation to a cohesive model based on the Turon mixed-mode cohesive laws. The analyses were conducted using a simplified cyclic loading procedure in which the maximum applied load is kept constant and the computational expense of cycling the load is avoided. The predicted propagation rates in mode I and mixed mode were compared to experimental results for IM7/8552 graphite/epoxy tape. Several aspects of the results were investigated, including the effect of R-curves, the stress ratio R, and the difference between displacement control and force control.

Davila, Carlos G.↗

Computational Performance of Progressive Damage Analysis of Composite Laminates using Abaqus/Explicit with 16 to 512 CPU Cores

The computational scaling performance of progressive damage analysis using Abaqus/ Explicit is evaluated and quantified using from 16 to 512 CPU cores. Several analyses were conducted on varying numbers of cores to determine the scalability of the code on five NASA high performance computing systems. Two finite element models representative of typical models used for progressive damage analysis of composite laminates were used. The results indicate a 10 to 15 times speed up scaling from 24 to 512 cores. The run times were modestly reduced with newer generations of CPU hardware. If the number of degrees of freedom is held constant with respect to the number of cores, the model size can be increased by a factor of 20, scaling from 16 to 512 cores, with the same run time. An empirical expression was derived relating run time, the number of cores, and the number of degrees of freedom. Analysis cost was examined in terms of software tokens and hardware utilization. Using additional cores reduces token usage since the computational performance increases more rapidly than the token requirement with increasing number of cores. The in- crease in hardware cost with increasing cores was found to be modest. Overall the results show relatively good scalability of the Abaqus/Explicit code on up to 512 cores.

Bergan, A. C.↗

Assessment of a One-Dimensional Finite Element Charring Ablation Material Response Model for Phenolic-Impregnated Carbon Ablator

In this study, mathematical formulations to model charring ablation problems were numerically implemented using finite element analysis (FEA) with ABAQUS, which account for the material decomposition and progressive surface removal in the heat conduction and the surface energy balance equations. FEA was performed for a one-dimensional model to predict the temperature and ablation histories of a phenolic-impregnated carbon ablator sample (i.e., a common heat shield material for hypersonic vehicles and spacecraft) subjected to oxy-acetylene torch flame (i.e., 0.8 SLPM acetylene gas to 2.7 SLPM oxygen gas). The recovery enthalpy and convective heat transfer coefficient for the ablation model were calculated based on gas compositions and two assumed surface conditions (i.e., equilibrium and frozen). Simulations using the calculated recovery enthalpy and convective heat transfer coefficient resulted in a recession rate of 6.38 times (equilibrium) and 14.08 times (frozen) higher than the experimental data, despite fair agreement of the surface temperature. In addition, the effect of the heat transfer coefficient was investigated through a steady-state ablation analysis. The results of the analysis indicate that there is not one single value for the heat transfer coefficient that would allow the prediction to match both measured recession rate and surface temperature. Possible reasons for such an inconsistency are provided and discussed.

Thermal Protection System↗

Simulation of Guided-Wave Ultrasound Propagation in Composite Laminates: Benchmark Comparisons of Numerical Codes and Experiment

Ultrasonic wave methods constitute the leading physical mechanism for nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and structural health monitoring (SHM) of solid composite materials, such as carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates. Computational models of ultrasonic wave excitation, propagation, and scattering in CFRP composites can be extremely valuable in designing practicable NDE and SHM hardware, software, and methodologies that accomplish the desired accuracy, reliability, efficiency, and coverage. The development and application of ultrasonic simulation approaches for composite materials is an active area of research in the field of NDE. This paper presents comparisons of guided wave simulations for CFRP composites implemented using four different simulation codes: the commercial finite element modeling (FEM) packages ABAQUS, ANSYS, and COMSOL, and a custom code executing the Elastodynamic Finite Integration Technique (EFIT). Benchmark comparisons are made between the simulation tools and both experimental laser Doppler vibrometry data and theoretical dispersion curves. A pristine and a delamination type case (Teflon insert in the experimental specimen) is studied. A summary is given of the accuracy of simulation results and the respective computational performance of the four different simulation tools.

Composite↗

A Cohesive Fatigue Model Based on the S-N Diagram

The relationship between fatigue life and fatigue crack propagation rate is explored with a new cohesive damage model. The parameters of the model are obtained from idealizations of S-N diagrams used in engineering design. The model is based on the hypothesis that both stable tearing damage and damage due to cyclic loading are representations of a density of microcracks and, therefore, a single damage variable can describe the state of damage. This assumption implies that the quasi-static cohesive law that describes tearing is also the envelope of the fatigue damage. Fatigue damage within the cohesive envelope is assumed to accumulate at a rate that depends on the displacement jumps. The fatigue model was implemented as a UMAT subroutine for Abaqus cohesive elements by adding fatigue damage accumulation to a cohesive model based on the Turon quasi-static cohesive law. The analyses were conducted using a simplified cyclic loading procedure in which the maximum applied load is kept constant and the computational expense of cycling the load is avoided. The predicted propagation rates for a double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen were compared to experimental results for IM7/8552 graphite/epoxy tape.

Dávila, Carlos G.↗

Stochastic Simulation of Mudcrack Damage Formation in an Environmental Barrier Coating

The FEAMAC/CARES program, which integrates finite element analysis (FEA) with the MAC/GMC (Micromechanics Analysis Code with Generalized Method of Cells) and the CARES/Life (Ceramics Analysis and Reliability Evaluation of Structures / Life Prediction) programs, was used to simulate the formation of mudcracks during the cooling of a multilayered environmental barrier coating (EBC) deposited on a silicon carbide substrate. FEAMAC/CARES combines the MAC/GMC multiscale micromechanics analysis capability (primarily developed for composite materials) with the CARES/Life probabilistic multiaxial failure criteria (developed for brittle ceramic materials) and Abaqus (Dassault Systèmes) FEA. In this report, elastic modulus reduction of randomly damaged finite elements was used to represent discrete cracking events. The use of many small-sized low-aspect-ratio elements enabled the formation of crack boundaries, leading to development of mudcrack-patterned damage. Finite element models of a disk-shaped three-dimensional specimen and a twodimensional model of a through-the-thickness cross section subjected to progressive cooling from 1,300 °C to an ambient temperature of 23 °C were made. Mudcrack damage in the coating resulted from the buildup of residual tensile stresses between the individual material constituents because of thermal expansion mismatches between coating layers and the substrate. A two-parameter Weibull distribution characterized the coating layer stochastic strength response and allowed the effect of the Weibull modulus on the formation of damage and crack segmentation lengths to be studied. The spontaneous initiation of cracking and crack coalescence resulted in progressively smaller mudcrack cells as cooling progressed, consistent with a fractal-behaved fracture pattern. Other failure modes such as delamination, and possibly spallation, could also be reproduced. The physical basis assumed and the heuristic approach employed, which involves a simple stochastic cellular automaton methodology to approximate the crack growth process, are described. The results ultimately show that a selforganizing mudcrack formation can derive from a Weibull distribution that is used to describe the stochastic strength response of the bulk brittle ceramic material layers of an EBC.

Nemeth, Noel N.↗

Verification Benchmarks and Validation of MAT261 for High Energy Dynamic Impact Applications

Advanced computational methods for composite structures can enable smarter testing and potentially certification by analysis. These methods, known as progressive damage and failure analysis (PDFA) methods, can predict lamina level mechanics including failure and subsequent propagation. When introduced into a commercial off the shelf finite element solver such as ABAQUS, LS-DYNA, or ANSYS, it enables end users to effectively exercise PDFA methods; however, it requires an understanding of the assumed mechanics and underlying coded response. In this paper, verification benchmarks developed under the NASA Advanced Composite Consortium for a class of PDFA methods known as continuum damage mechanics approaches are applied to the native LS-DYNA material model MAT261. As a result of the verification, an instability was discovered and subsequently corrected with an engineering solution. The results of the preliminary MAT261 simulations for high energy dynamic impact and the engineering solution are compared and a discussion about the significance is presented.

Molitor, Matthew↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-13122-DND

An approach for assessing the delamination propagation and growth capabilities in commercial finite element codes was developed and demonstrated for the Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) implementations in ABAQUS?. The Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimen was chosen as an example. First, benchmark results to assess delamination propagation capabilities under static loading were created using models simulating specimens with different delamination lengths. Second, starting from an initially straight front, the delamination was allowed to propagate based on the algorithms implemented in the commercial finite element software. The load-displacement relationship obtained from the propagation analysis results and the benchmark results were compared. Good agreements could be achieved by selecting the appropriate input parameters, which were determined in an iterative procedure. A benchmark case to assess the fatigue growth prediction capabilities was also created. Input control parameters were varied to study the effect on the computed delamination growth. The benchmarks enabled the selection of the appropriate input parameters that yielded good agreements between the results obtained from the automated analysis and the benchmark results. Overall, the results are encouraging but further assessment for mixed-mode delamination is required.

Ronald Krueger↗

Implementing Geometric Surface Imperfections into Sandwich Composite Cylinder Finite Element Method Models

The buckling responses of certain cylindrical shell structures are extremely sensitive to geometric surface imperfections. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) is conducting research to develop analysis-based buckling design recommendations. Experiments are used to verify the analysis-based factors, but the sensitivity of the test articles to geometric imperfections requires implementing as-manufactured imperfections into high-fidelity finite element method models. Data collection methods such as structured light scanning are used for all geometric surface data used in this work. Common preprocessing and visualization steps used in SBKF are discussed, and steps on how surface scans are prepared for implementation into a finite element model is described. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS), written specifically for the use with SBKF, is briefly described and uses eight functions to extract, modify, and write geometric imperfections into Abaqus input files. Results of the pre-processing methods and results from Py_TIGIRS are provided and compared for Composite Test Article (CTA) 8.2B. Excellent agreement between the visualized scan data and the FEM-extracted geometry is demonstrated. A brief example of why geometric surface imperfections are significant in nonlinear numerical analyses for thin cylinders in axial compression is provided as motivation to use tools such as Py_TIGIRS. Future development of Py_TIGIRS including expansion to structures of arbitrary geometry is planned.

Sandwich structures↗

Progressive Failure Analysis Correlation with Notched Composite Laminate Test Data

Testing of small and intermediate laminate panels with notches was performed and Progressive Failure Analyses (PFA) models were developed for aid in test planning and for correlation with the test data. Two progressive damage failure models were included in the study: the commercially available Abaqus built-in damage model and COmplete STress Reduction (COSTR) damage model developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The finite elements models used for the analysis were developed using shell elements. The pre-test PFA results obtained from the two damage models were compared to test data. Then a post-test PFA with updated material properties based on additional available material property data was executed with the COSTR damage model and compared to the test data. The panels tested in compression all exhibited less scatter in the failure load with self-similar failure behavior. The panels tested in tension exhibited more scatter in the failure load with a failure mode that included delamination of plies. However, a self-similar crack path was also observed as the overall failure mode for all panels tested. When comparing test data to the pre-test analysis results, both damage models with shell element models were considered adequate for predicting the behavior and failure load of both the small and intermediate panels when tested in compression. However, for the tension load cases, larger differences were observed between the test and analysis results. When comparing test data to the post-test analysis performed using the COSTR damage model, better correlation was observed. However, large discrepancies were still observed for the tension load cases. Consequently, a higher fidelity finite element model including solid elements for sub-laminates and the modeling of cohesive layers between sub-laminate layers is recommended for tension loading of notched composite laminates.

Damage Model,Progressive Failure Analysis,Open Hol↗

Validation of Delamination Growth Predictions under Fatigue Loading using the Single Leg Bending Specimen

The Single Leg Bending Specimen (SLB) was chosen for a study to compare experimentally determined delamination growth with analysis predictions. First, fatigue tests were performed on SLB specimens with several different starter delamination lengths. Specimens were cycled in load control and delamination length increase was continuously recorded with increasing number of cycles. Test results from different load levels were combined to capture the entire delamination growth law (Paris Law) over a wide range of energy release rates. Second, a recently developed interpolation scheme was used to predict the Paris Law associated with the SLB specimen. This interpolation scheme allows the calculation of the growth rates for a given mixed-mode ratio from known single-mode growth laws. Third, finite element analyses were performed using two-dimensional models of the SLB specimen. New Virtual Crack Closure Technique based analysis tools for automated delamination growth analysis under cyclic loading in Abaqus were used for growth predictions. Fourth, the predictions from analyses were compared to experimental fatigue data. Remaining analysis shortcomings were highlighted.

Ronald Krueger↗

NASA Advanced Composites Project

The recently-completed NASA Advanced Composites Project (ACP) successfully developed several new technologies aimed at reducing the timeline to design and certify composite aircraft structures. Advancements in the areas of manufacturing simulation, nondestructive inspection and advanced structural design and analysis methodologies were completed in late 2019 under the Advanced Composites Consortium (ACC) public/private partnership as well as NRA-funded university contracts. In the area of Structures, the ACC made significant improvements in rapid design tools for preliminary sizing of structure, along with developing detailed static and fatigue strength prediction methods and methods for modeling high energy impact events in composite structures. These new methodologies and toolsets were validated against a range of representative test data using a comprehensive verification and validation approach which has been published and is now used extensively on other programs. Specific new tool improvements supported by ACC include NASA’s CompDam code and Floating Node Method code. CompDam is now available from NASA as open source code. The team alsoworked on improved impact modeling using LS-Dyna™ and improved delamination modeling using Abaqus™. Rapid design tool improvements are available through Hypersizer. The ACC team released well over 50 publications documenting these method improvements, and the ACP recently received the prestigious NASA Group Achievement Award for their work.Typical Hat Stiffened Panel Test Article Used for Method Validation

ACC↗

Residual Stresses Induced due to Curing of the Bulk Matrix in a Simplified Three-Dimensional (3D) Woven Repeating Unit Cell

It has been observed that 3D woven materials are highly susceptible to processes induced defects including tow misalignment, intratow and intertow cracking and/or voids. Adequate process modeling of 3D woven Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs) is necessary to predict and estimate the effects of the manufacturing process on these defects. A preliminary step towards this is achieved with the commercial Finite Element Analysis (FEA) tool Abaqus complemented with written user subroutines to account for the effect of shrinkage and thermoelastic properties evolution as a function of the degree of cure of the bulk matrix phase in a 3D woven composite repeating unit cell (RUC). As a pathfinder, the process modeling framework is demonstrated on a simplified 3D woven RUC of an AS4/RIMR 135 system. Curing simulations are performed on the 3D woven RUC to observe the processing induced residual stresses. The results of the analysis show that high stress concentrations, present within the 3D intertow matrix bordering the binder tow, coincide with X-Ray computed tomography (X-Ray-CT) scan data depicting cracking in the same location

3D Woven↗

Implementing Geometric Surface Imperfections into Sandwich Composite Cylinder Finite Element Method Models

The buckling responses of certain cylindrical shell structures are extremely sensitive to geometric imperfections. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) is conducting research to develop analysis-based buckling design recommendations. Experiments are used to verify the analysis-based factors, but the sensitivity of the test articles to geometric imperfections requires implementing as-manufactured imperfections into high-fidelity finite element method (FEM) models. Geometry measurement methods such as structured light scanning are used for all geometric surface data used in this work. Common preprocessing and visualization steps used in SBKF are discussed, and steps of how surface scans are prepared for implementation into a finite element model is described. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS), written specifically for the use with SBKF, is briefly described and uses eight functions to extract, modify, and write geometric imperfections into Abaqus input files. Results of the preprocessing methods and results from Py_TIGIRS are provided and compared for Composite Test Articles (CTA) 8.2, 8.2B, and 8.3. Excellent agreement between the visualized scan data and the FEM-extracted geometry is demonstrated. A brief example of why geometric surface imperfections are significant in nonlinear numerical analyses for thin cylinders in axial compression is provided as motivation to use tools such as Py_TIGIRS. Future developments of Py_TIGIRS including expansion to structures of arbitrary geometry is planned.

Geometric imperfections↗

Multiscale Simulation of Deployable Composite Structures

In this paper, a multiscale simulation method for analyzing deployable composite structures is presented. Effective shell properties of the composites are obtained based on Mechanics of Structure Genome (MSG) homogenization, and then implemented into a user-subroutine UGENS for structural simulation with shell elements in Abaqus. The column bending test(CBT) of a flat thin flexure and lenticular composite boom in a simplified deployer structure are studied for demonstration. A viscoelastic material model with direct integration is adopted in this paper. The CBT simulation shows good agreement with experiments during relaxation, while errors are observed when comparing residual deformation. It is shown that this CBT model can be calibrated to CBT test results. For the lenticular boom analysis, the complete process of flattening, coiling, stowage, deployment and recovery is simulated with the viscoelastic shell model.

Finite element analysis↗

Implementing Geometric Surface Imperfections into Sandwich Composite Cylinder Finite Element Method Models

The buckling responses of certain cylindrical shell structures are extremely sensitive to geometric imperfections. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor Project (SBKF) is conducting research to develop analysis-based buckling design recommendations. Experiments are used to verify the analysis-based factors, but the sensitivity of the test articles to geometric imperfections requires implementing as-manufactured imperfections into high-fidelity finite element method (FEM) models. Geometry measurement methods such as structured light scanning are used for all geometric surface data used in this work. Common preprocessing and visualization steps used in SBKF are discussed, and steps of how surface scans are prepared for implementation into a finite element model is described. The Python Tool for Implementing Geometric Imperfections in Reduced Structures (Py_TIGIRS), written specifically for the use with SBKF, is briefly described and uses eight functions to extract, modify, and write geometric imperfections into Abaqus input files. Results of the preprocessing methods and results from Py_TIGIRS are provided and compared for Composite Test Articles (CTA) 8.2, 8.2B, and 8.3. Excellent agreement between the visualized scan data and the FEM-extracted geometry is demonstrated. A brief example of why geometric surface imperfections are significant in nonlinear numerical analyses for thin cylinders in axial compression is provided as motivation to use tools such as Py_TIGIRS. Future developments of Py_TIGIRS including expansion to structures of arbitrary geometry is planned.

Geometric imperfections↗