Unidirectional Composite ANSYS — Design & Simulation

Abstract — Unidirectional Composite ANSYS

Composite materials are increasingly being used across a wide range of applications (Harussani, 2022; Ravishankar et al., 2019; The Composite Sky, 2024), and composite industry is of high interest for key sectors such as the aerospace, automotive, and construction industries. Optimizing composite manufacturing processes and monitoring their structural state are key issues for ensuring safety, environmental sustainability, and cost-effectiveness (Thori et al., 2013; Ahmed et al., 2023). They are at the core of the SHM (structural health monitoring) focus. Such innovations may aim to optimize processing parameters, develop new materials with enhanced properties, or design smart composites. For this last goal, many functions can be integrated into composites structures as heaters, antennas, or several types of strain sensors (Sensexpert, 2023; Kuang et al., 2001; Yao et al., 2011). Some solutions exist for introducing strain sensors into composites (Sousa et al., 2020; Wang et al., 2022; Zhao et al., 2012), such as optical fibers, but they remain complex to implement and are intrusive. We propose an alternative solution with electronic devices, especially resistive gauges sensors. These devices are well known.

Analytical & Numerical Modeling Methodology

They can be achieved with metallic thin layers, with a low gauge factor (a few units) but a large range of detection (up to 5âII% of deformation) (Zhang and Hoshino, 2019). Semiconducting materials such as silicon are interesting because, due to the piezoresistive effect, they have a large gauge factor (20 to 100, depending on their structures and doping levels) but a limited deformation range (1âII% maximum) (French and Evans, 1989). However, the main goal is to introduce some gauge factor with a minimal perturbation of the composite materials. The first idea is to decrease the thickness of the substrate to decrease the effect of a foreign body in the test medium. But, in this case, the substrate always has an impact on mechanical properties. In order to reduce it as much as possible, we develop a new process that allows us to insert a gauge factor into the core of a composite without any substrate. Our low-intrusion strain gauge instrumentation method offers physical and structural insights from within the composite structure itself. Indeed, it can maintain the composite's structural integrity by embedding the sensor substrate-free at its core. Remarkably, even with its thickness and intrusiveness minimized, it retains the high-sensitivity characteristic of the silicon sensors.

Finite Element Results & Code Compliance

The process involves manufacturing microcrystalline silicon strain gauges and transferring them, substrate-free, into one of the plies of the composite material, made from a combination of fiber glass and epoxy resin. It is worth noting that transfer-printing technology has already been proven to be effective for integrating electronic functions into textiles (Rogel et al., 2016). Figure 1 shows the result of a ply including silicon strain gauges and the resulting composite material made of several plies and including four silicon strain gauges linked to external electrical contacts.

Scope & Practical Applications

• High-rise building and spatial frame analysis under seismic & wind loading
• Finite element continuum modeling in ABAQUS for non-linear material plasticity
• Classical lamination theory (CLT) and failure prediction for composite structures
• Spatial hazard mapping, landslide susceptibility, and catchment terrain analysis in QGIS
• Detailed bar bending schedules (BBS), structural drawings, and calculation booklets