Applications of Customised Design Tools for Composite Structures

Objective

While dealing with design of composite structures, the
number of design variables is so high that the feeling of
engineers is rarely sufficient to optimise the design. In
this project, sizing, shape and topological optimisation
techniques are applied to several types of composites in
order to reach a highly efficient use of materials in
structures.

Starting from present design methodologies and dealing
with technological constraints coming from manufacturing
processes, the aim is to develop new design methodologies
allowing to enhance the quality of products and decrease
the time to market new products. In order to achieve the
goals, customised design systems will be build and tested
in the context of SME's and big companies. New parametric
modellers will be build and integrated within the
customised environment. A very important feature is that
the whole problem here will be treated at the geometrical
level (not at the finite element one). That must
guarantee, user friendliness of the proposed software
tools. New design and optimisation algorithms will also
be integrated. The general architecture will be the BOSS
QUATTRO system, developed thanks to an other B/E
project (OPTIM).
The result will then be a toolbox available for further
customisation in other applications.

Metallic composite panels are considered here as well as
classical multi layered composites. Different ways to
formulate the design problem are studied and compared:
sizing of plies, shape optimisation of laminates on the
shell, topology of laminates etc. The problems of
uncertainty and sensitivity to manufacturing defects will
also be studied using rigorous methods.

As part of the customisation task, the best formulations
will be selected with respect to targeted design
problems. Experimental testing will allow to check the
accuracy of the obtained solutions.

Fields of science

• engineering and technology › mechanical engineering › manufacturing engineering
• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › software
• engineering and technology › materials engineering › composites
• natural sciences › mathematics › pure mathematics › topology

Programme(s)

• FP4-BRITE/EURAM 3 - Specific research and technological development programme in the field of industrial and materials technologies, 1994-1998

Topic(s)

• 0201 - Materials engineering

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

Marine Computation Services Ltd.

Address

Merchants Road
90 Galway
Ireland

Participants (7)

AACHEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY

Germany

Address

53 B,steinbachstraße 53 B
52056 Aachen

Association Léonard de Vinci

France

Address

92916 Paris La Défense

Domeco of Central Greece Industrial SA

Greece

Address

2,leosthenous Street 2
35100 Emporiko Kentro Lamias

Mayr Faserverbundtechnik GmbH

Germany

Address

14,oberaustraße 14
83026 Rosenheim

SAMTECH SA

Belgium

Address

25,parc Scientifique Du Sart-tilman, Rue Des Chasseur
4031 Angleur

SIREHNA - SOCIÉTÉ D'INGÉNIÉRIE, DE RECHERCHES ET D'ETUDES EN HYDRODYNAMIQUE NAVALE SA

France

Address

Rue De La Noe 1, Immeuble Atlanpole
44321 Nantes

Université de Liège

Belgium

Address

21,rue Ernest Solvay 21
4000 Liège