Browse Topic: Composite materials

Items (4,007)
Increased use of advanced composite structural materials on aircraft has resulted in the need to address the more demanding quality and nondestructive testing procedures. Accordingly, increased utilization of solid laminate composites is driving changes to airline NDI/NDT training requirements and greater emphasis on the application of accurate NDI/NDT methods for composite structures. Teaching modules, including an introduction to composite materials, composite NDI/NDT theory and practice, special cases and lessons learned, are included in this document as well as various hands-on NDI/NDT exercises. A set of proficiency specimens containing realistic composite structures and representative damage are available to reinforce teaching points and evaluate inspector’s proficiency. Extensive details of the guidance modules, hands-on exercises, and proficiency specimens are all presented in this document. This document does not replace OEM guidance as may be specific to material, process
AMS CACRC Commercial Aircraft Composite Repair Committee
ABSTRACT Through Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) support from the U.S. Army, an industry partner has explored the possibility of using an ultrasonic guided wave computed tomography (CT) imaging approach to detect and characterize ballistic damage to composite armor panels that are commonly used in ground vehicles. Laboratory tests have been conducted and shows that the guided wave CT approach can indeed be applied to these complex structures to provide accurate damage mapping potential. Analytical analysis and finite element method (FEM) modeling has been used to aide in understanding guided wave propagation behavior in these anisotropic structures. The work presented herein clearly shows great potential for using a guided wave sensing approach to locate and image ballistic damage in composite armor panels as well as the ability to predict wave propagation and scattering in these complex structures that could be used in the future to predict optimal sensor geometry
Royer, Roger L.Yan, FeiAvioli, Michael J.Meitzler, ThomasRose, Joseph L.Owens, Steven E.Bishnoi, Krishan
ABSTRACT Through Army SBIR funding, NanoSonic has designed a next-generation multipurpose Spall Protective, Energy Absorbing (SPEA™) HybridSil® material that has the potential to provide vehicle occupants with pioneering combinatorial protection from 1) fragmentation behind-armor debris (BAD), 2) high velocity head / neck impact, and 3) fire during underbody blast, crash, and rollover events. This innovative multilayered ensemble consists of highly flame resistant, energy absorbing polyorganosiloxane foams, molded ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene panels, and carbon fiber reinforced polymer derived ceramic composites. The technical foundation for this effort was provided through independent 1) MIL-STD-662 FSP ballistic testing with The Ballistics and Explosive Group at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI); 2) FMVSS 201U head impact testing with MGA Research Incorporation; and 3) ASTM E1354 fire resistance testing with the Fire Technology group at SwRI. Fragment simulating
Baranauskas, VinceKlima, Julie
ABSTRACT The latest advancements in common rail fuel injection system, material science, engine control strategies, and manufacturing technologies have challenged and allowed engine designers to create a high power density, fuel efficient, reliable, and environmental friendly multi-fuel engine. To increase power density a novel high-speed 2-stroke turbocharged compression ignition engine will feed the pressurized air directly into the combustion chamber without going through the crankcase. Thus, only pressurized clean air will be used for combustion and oil consumption will be dramatically reduced. To further improve volumetric efficiency and reduce emissions, a computer controlled dynamic variable valve timing system can be incorporated such that the optimum amount of pressurized air will be available for combustion at various loads and conditions. Combustion efficiency at different loads can be optimized by adjusting the compression ratio dynamically through computer control. By
Chue, Stephen
Related to traditional engineering materials, magnesium alloy-based composites have the potential for automobile applications and exhibit superior specific mechanical behavior. This study aims to synthesize the magnesium alloy (AZ61) composite configured with 0 wt%, 4 wt%, 8 wt%, and 12 wt% of silicon nitride micron particles, developed through a two-step stir-casting process under an argon environment. The synthesized cast AZ61 alloy matrix and its alloy embedded with 4 wt%, 8 wt%, and 12 wt% of Si3N4 are subjected to an abrasive water jet drilling/machining (AJWM) process under varied input sources such as the diameter of the drill (D), transverse speed rate (v), and composition of AZ61 composite sample. Influences of AJWM input sources on metal removal rate (MRR) and surface roughness (Ra) are calculated for identifying the optimum input source factors to attain the best output responses like maximum MRR and minimum Ra via analysis of variant (ANOVA) Taguchi route with L16 design
Venkatesh, R.
ABSTRACT This paper focuses on development of methods for manufacturing structural thermoplastic composite materials, characterizing the mechanical properties of such composites, and modeling the static and dynamic performance in relevant military vehicle modeling and simulation environments. A thermoplastic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) / fiberglass composite was selected for this study due to the high specific strength of e-glass fibers, the high toughness of the PET thermoplastic, and relatively low price point, all which make it an attractive candidate for structural lightweighting of vehicles. The raw materials were manufactured into composite laminates using a compression molding process and then the mechanical properties were characterized using experimental test methods. Properties like stiffness, strength, and strain-to-failure of the composite were characterized using standard ASTM methods, and the resulting properties were directly fed into a computational material model
Patton, Evan G.Hart, Robert J.
ABSTRACT The U.S. Army identified the use of advanced materials in next generation combat vehicles design as a focal technology area of interest and urged industry to develop replacements that realize weight, sustainment, and cost savings. An initial life cycle analysis suggests that using Titanium road wheels as an alternative to legacy road wheels could cut 555.6 lbs. and reduce cost by $39,760.00 per each M-1 tank over a life cycle of 8,000 mi, resulting with $71.72 savings per each pound reduced. Secondary side-effects of the weight reduction achieved by the Titanium road wheels include improvements such as fuel economy, mobility, transportability, and risk-reduction in the inclusion of emerging metal matrix composite technologies in next generation combat vehicles. The paper recommends conducting field evaluation and considering the application of Titanium road wheels in the M-1/M-88, M-109, AMPV, MPF, OMFV, DLP/FDL, and RCV (H) platforms Citation: R. Paytan, R. Mazor, “Titanium
Paytan, RonnenMazor, Ronen
ABSTRACT Lower cost aluminum silicon carbide (Al-SiC) metal matrix composite (MMC) produced by stir-casting is emerging as an important material in cost effectively improving the reliability of high power electronic devices; e.g. electronic (IGBT) baseplates, thermal spreaders & stiffeners for flip-chip microelectronics, and heat slugs or MCPCB base layers for high brightness LEDs. This paper will review the properties and competitive cost of these new Al-SiC materials as well as the ability to tailor the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of the Al-SiC to minimize thermal fatigue on solder joints and reduce component distortion. The impact on the final component cost through the use of conventional forming techniques such as (a) rolling sheet followed by stamping, and, (b) die casting, will be described, as will be the opportunity of eliminating a thermal interface material (TIM) layer by integrating the thermal spreader with the heat sink for high power microelectronic packages
Drake, AllenSchuster, DavidSkibo, Michael
ABSTRACT Design for structural topology optimization is a method of distributing material within a design domain of prescribed dimensions. This domain is discretized into a large number of elements in which the optimization algorithm removes, adds, or maintains the amount of material. The resulting structure maximizes a prescribed mechanical performance while satisfying functional and geometric constraints. Among different topology optimization algorithms, the hybrid cellular automaton (HCA) method has proven to be efficient and robust in problems involving large, plastic deformations. The HCA method has been used to design energy absorbing structures subject to crash impact. The goal of this investigation is to extend the use of the HCA algorithm to the design of an advanced composite armor (ACA) system subject to a blast load. The ACA model utilized consists of two phases: ceramic and metallic. In this work, the proposed algorithm drives the optimal distribution of a metallic phase
Goetz, John C.Tan, HuadeRenaud, John E.Tovar, Andrés
ABSTRACT High performance fiber reinforced ceramic rotors have the potential to greatly improve metrics in heavy vehicles such as braking distance, acceleration time, maximum speed, fuel consumption, improved handling, and increased vehicle maximum loads. Three types of carbon ceramic composite brake rotor materials were created using polymer infiltration pyrolysis (PIP) for carbon fiber reinforced silicon oxicarbide, reactive melt infiltration (RMI) for carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide, and electric field assisted sintering (EFAS) for carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide-zirconium diboride to investigate the manufacturing of 396mm diameter heavy vehicle brake rotors. The microstructure of parts created by each manufacturing method were discussed and contrasted. The EFAS manufactured rotor created the highest quality part due to extremely fast processing times, uniform material microstructure, and fusing of adjacent fibers in the carbon fiber network. Thermal conductivity was
Rufner, JorgenLeonard, CliffordNutt, StevenNguyen, Kevin
ABSTRACT Barriers to the introduction of composite materials for ground vehicle applications include material property selection and cost effective material processing. Advancements in processing of thermoplastic composites for use in applications for semi structural and structural applications have created opportunities in “Out of Autoclave” processing utilizing preconsolidated unidirectional reinforced tapes. Traditional tooling for the bending formation of high temperature reinforced structural thermoplastic laminates typically involves matched metal tooling consisting of steel or aluminum and are costly and heavy. In this research, a comparative analysis was performed to evaluate the use of a large scale 3D printed forming tool in comparison to a traditional metallic mold. Material processing considerations included the development of a technique for localized laminate heating to achieve optimized energy input in the forming process. Considerations in tooling development included
Erb, DavidDwyer, BenjaminRoy, JonathanYori, WilliamLopez-Anido, Roberto A.Smail, AndrewHart, Robert
ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the development of a lightweight, composite floating crew floor designed to withstand the severe loading requirements of an underbody blast. Energy absorbing devices decouple the floor from the surrounding vehicle structure; therefore, in the event of an underbody blast, the impulse is spread out over a longer period of time, thus reducing the loads into the floor where the crew seats are attached. The composite floor development included: characterizing candidate materials for structural and flame/smoke/toxicity characteristics, design optimization of the composite floor geometry, modeling the response of the floor assembly during a simulated underbody blast event, and manufacturing of a physical composite crew floor. Based on this effort, the composite floor was able to meet the structural requirements of the underbody blast event, while reducing weight by more than 55% compared to the baseline aluminum floor. Moreover, due to the significant reduction
Hart, RobertDwyer, BenjaminSmail, AndrewChishti, AmmarErb, DavidLopez-Anido, Roberto
ABSTRACT Militaries worldwide are increasing their Research and Development (R&D) into RAS. Within the next 10 – 15 years RAS will play an active part in operations as the future battlefield becomes more complex. CRT technology can significantly reduce platform weight, fuel consumption, noise and vibration levels[1][2][3]. Armies and vehicle manufacturers have initiated a series of independent trials that confirmed the benefits and reliability of CRT on a tracked military vehicle. With the increase in RAS technologies comes a desire to utilize the proven benefits identified from manned platforms. The author’s objective is to highlight the findings of these trials[1][2][3] and provide substantiated data on how CRT technology can benefit RAS in terms of weight saving, whilst reducing maintenance and vibration. Citation: Fabien Lagier, Ing. MBA, “Composite Rubber Track (CRT) for Robotic & Autonomous System (RAS)”, In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology
Lagier, Fabien
ABSTRACT Tracked vehicles are known to provide excellent off-road mobility, but traditional steel tracks do come with some important compromises. The recent introduction of Composite Rubber Tracks (CRT) on the CV90 IFV (77,000 lb) has shown that this robust and operationally proven CRT technology significantly reduces the vehicle weight, fuel consumption, noise, and vibration levels. Inspired by this new enthusiasm for tracked vehicles, provided by CRT, armies and original vehicle manufacturers initiated a series of independent trials confirming the benefits and reliability of CRT. The author’s objective is to present the conclusions of these independent CRT trials, more specifically focusing on the Warrior IFV, providing substantiation data on how CRT technology enhances tracked vehicle performance
Marcotte, Tommy
ABSTRACT Fiber reinforced thermoset composites are well known for delivering 50% or more weight savings when compared with steel components while also providing strength, stiffness, and toughness. Nanoparticle additives have been shown to significantly increase the mechanical properties of thermoplastic and thermoset polymer matrices over the base matrix values. Extensive testing and characterization of composites containing graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) has been conducted and reported by XG Sciences’ (XGS) collaborators at the Michigan State University (MSU) Composite Materials and Structures Center. In a recent program with U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), MSU investigated lightweight composites for blast and impact protection. High strain rate test facilities as well as high speed photography and non-destructive interferometry-based evaluation techniques were used to evaluate blast performance. The experimental results are presented
Privette, R.Fukushima, H.Drzal, L.T.Robinson, M.
Recent developments in manufacturing techniques and the development of Al7075 metal matrix composites (MMCs) with reinforcements derived from industrial waste have been steadily gaining popularity for aerospace and automobile applications due to their outstanding properties. However, there are still a lot of limitations with these composite materials. A great deal of research has been done to create new Al7075 MMC materials with the use of economic fly ash (FA) that possesses superior mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, density, and cycle cost. This review outlines different synthesis techniques used in the development of Al7075 MMCs using stir casting. Effects of FA along with other reinforcements on the mechanical, wear, machining, and microstructural properties of the composite are also discussed. Finally, a summary of the application of FA-based MMCs and a recap of the previous discoveries and challenges are reported. Future scope and potential areas of application are
Kumar, RandhirMondal, Sharifuddin
Vehicle light-weighting constitutes a critical component in the automotive sector’s drive to improve fuel economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Among the various options for lightweight materials, thermoplastic foams are distinguished by their durability, low weight, and environmental sustainability. This study explores the manufacturing of novel graphene-filled polypropylene (PP) foam, employing supercritical nitrogen as an eco-friendly substitute instead of conventional chemical foaming agents, and investigated the role of over-molding a solid skin over a foamed core on the flexural strength of the molded component. Our approach is broken down into four distinct investigations—Study I investigated the effect of different graphene content by weight percentage (wt.%), namely 0.1%, 0.5%, and 1%, on flexural properties and foam morphology obtained for 15 wt.% reduction of the PP thermoplastic, thereby helping identify an optimum graphene loading wt.%. Study II broadened the wt
Pradeep, Sai AdityaDeshpande, Amit MakarandShah, BhavikKhan, SaidaFarahani, SaeedSternberg, JamesLi, GangPilla, Srikanth
The aim of this work is to develop a composite material and investigate its mechanical characteristics especially suited for automotive applications, and finite element analysis (FEA) of fabricated composite is carried out to examine the mechanical behavior of composites. Utilizing aluminum alloy ingot (LM13) as the matrix material and zirconium diboride (ZrB2) as reinforcement, this work creates composites with improved mechanical and physical properties by accounting impact, tensile, compression, and hardness behavior. FEA is used to examine the increasing behavior of material properties for various volume segments of reinforcement (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt%) that are supplied to the matrix to determine an acceptable volume percentage of composite based on their input features. In FEA, the impact, tensile, compression, and hardness characteristics of the composite model are investigated by considering von Mises stress, equivalent elastic strain, and total deformation. The experimental
Vijayan, S. N.Chelladurai, Samson Jerold SamuelSaiyathibrahim, A.Infant Jegan Rakesh, A. J.Thriveni, K.Preethi, V.Jatti, Vijaykumar S.Karthik, S.Balaji, K.Saranya, S.
In this investigation, AA6351 alloy matrix composites with a larger volume proportion of SiC (20 wt%) were fabricated and tested for microstructure and mechanical behavior. Composites were hot extruded from mechanically milled matrix and reinforcements. Hot extrusion uniformly distributed reinforcements in the matrix and strengthened phase interaction. Mechanical ball milling causes AA6351 powder to become more homogeneous, reducing the mean particle size from 38.66 ± 2.31 μm to 23.57 ± 2.31 μm due to particle deformation. The micrograph shows that the SiC particles are equally dispersed in the AA6351 matrix, avoiding densification and reinforcing phase integration issues during hot extrusion. In hot extrusion, SiC particles are evenly distributed in the matrix, free of pores, and have strong metallurgical bonds, resulting in a homogenous composite microstructure. SiC powders and mechanical milling increase microhardness and compressive strength, giving MMC-A 54.9% greater than AA6351
Saiyathibrahim, A.Murali Krishnan, R.Jatti, Vinaykumar S.Jatti, Ashwini V.Jatti, Savita V.Praveenkumar, V.Balaji, K.
Eight arguments for these resins, compounds and composites. Weight reduction in EV battery components is an important factor in optimizing battery energy density, which in turn is critical to extending vehicle range and boosting power and performance. Although traditional metals such as steel and aluminum are widely used in EV batteries, the ongoing push for higher energy density is opening new opportunities for thermoplastic resins, compounds, and composites. The main advantage of these materials vs. metals is their inherent lighter weight - particularly in the case of lower-density polymers. Thermoplastics can be 30-50 percent lighter than metals. They also increase design freedom, which permits further weight-out through part consolidation and thin walls
Bobba, Somasekhar
The essential aspect of an automobile is its braking system. Brakes absorb the kinetic energy of the rotating parts, i.e., wheels, and dissipate this energy into the surroundings in the form of heat. This entire process is quite complex, and the brake disc is subjected to extreme thermal and structural stresses along with deformation, which might damage the disc. This paper presents a structural and thermal analysis of an Audi Q3 brake disc using an ANSYS 2021-R1. The present brake disc is designed using SOLIDWORKS software. Composite materials are added in the ansys material library by adding their respective characteristics. The thermal analysis mainly focused on temperature variation and directional heat flux. The structural study was conducted to understand the stresses developed during braking and the deformations observed. Along with a comprehensive structural and thermal analysis, this work has also estimated the life of the brake disc, the factor of safety, and the real-time
Bahulekar, AtharvShiralkar, ShaunakJomde, AmitShamkuwar, SonalPatane, PrashantShinde, TarangDandin, Shahbaz
As engineering systems evolve to encompass more intricate and complex designs, featuring a broad range of physical phenomena, the task of modeling these systems with high fidelity becomes increasingly challenging. This complexity often surpasses what a single simulation tool can handle, requiring the integration of various tools to comprehensively cover all facets of the system, with their outcomes merged to represent the entire system accurately. This paper presents a case study of such an integration, focusing on a vehicle dynamics simulation that incorporates composite materials. The vehicle’s dynamics are modeled using Chrono, while the simulation of the composite materials is conducted in Abaqus. The outputs from both tools are then amalgamated to provide a complete description of the system
Montalbano, AndrewMocko, GregoryLi, Gang
In this work, triaxial carbon fiber – epoxy composite laminates were manufactured and tested to determine the influence of environmental temperature and strain rate on the mechanical properties, and finite element models were developed to understand how those temperature and strain rate dependent trends may influence performance in a military ground vehicle application. As environmental temperature increased, the strength and elastic modulus were observed to decrease. Across all three environmental temperatures tested in this study, as the strain rate increased, tensile strength and elastic modulus were observed to increase as well. When applied to a composite hat section geometry, the finite element results highlighted the importance of considering both the environmental temperature and loading rate in the design of composite structures for use in military ground vehicles
Hart, Robert J.Patton, Evan G.Hamilton, Joseph M.Cardenas, IsabelaLuo, HuiyangMagallanes, Joseph
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