COMPOSITES 2023

Definition of Shell Reduced Order Models for the analysis of large reinforced composite structures

  • Turon, Francesc (CIMNE)
  • Otero, Fermin (CIMNE)
  • Martinez, Xavier (CIMNE)

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The numerical analysis of large composite structures with discontinuities, such as connections or stiffeners, represents a computational challenge with nowadays simulation tools. To reduce this cost, Shell-like elements are commonly used for the study of this kind of structures. However, these are not capable of optimally capturing the state of stresses near and within the irregular areas, such as overlaps, reinforcements, transitions or simple discontinuities. The analysis of these requires the use of solid models that are computationally much more expensive but are capable of predict the real composite behavior. In order to predict efficiently and accurately the mechanical performance of these types of structures, the present work proposes to use a reduced order models for the irregularities areas which will be coupled with the rest of the structures discretized with conventional Shell-like elements. The definition of these reduced models is carried out from volumetric models resulting into super elements with the same degrees of freedom as the Shell elements. The relation between the kinematics of the Solid and Shell models is addressed in a weak form stablishing a balance between the energy in the contact contours which result in a direct relation between the degrees of freedom of both models. In this way, it is defined a structural enriched numerical model that reproduces correctly the global behavior of the structure. The proposed approach is applied to the analysis of a large reinforced composite structure, in which the continuous laminate regions are analysed with conventional shell elements and the reinforcement regions with the proposed super elements. The results obtained with the mentioned methodology are compared with an analogous analysis made with an equivalent solid model. The work conducted and presented in here has been developed in the framework of the EU Horizon funded projects Fibre4Yards [1] and Fibregy [2].