Integration of a Constitutive Equation Based Finite Element for Compositive Materials into a Commercial Finite Element Software Code.

摘要

This report discusses the integration of a novel finite element for analyzing composite material structures into a commercially available finite element software package. This element is a constitutive equation based formulation that predicts individual layer strains and stresses in a computationally efficient manner. Implementing this element into a commercial code will improve its efficiency for predicting the structural response of composite material structures. The work discussed in this report involved utilizing algorithms previously developed at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) that are based on the constitutive equations and integrating them with the ANSYS finite element code. An example problem using this method is presented that predicts the laminate free edge stress distribution that is important for examining potential delaminations at design features such as holes, cutouts, and joints. The results of this study show that the element is accurate for determining the stress distribution at the laminate free edge. Recommendations for enhancements to the element are made to improve its modeling efficiency even further.