Multi-Material Structures

Composite materials are prime candidates for use in the design of US Navy non-pressure and control surfaces for submarines and topside and mast structure for surface ships. These materials offer the advantage of increased specific modulus and strength as compared to the traditional metallic options. Further, composite materials offer the ability to tailor the strength and stiffness of the structure through selected use and placement of alternative reinforcements within a specific lay-up. This effort investigates alternative approaches to tailoring the transition between two or more different materials, meeting the strength and stiffness performance requirements, while minimizing galvanic corrosion. The investigation of alternative approaches takes on various levels of consideration: global structural and non-structural assessment; micro-mechanics analysis for strain compatibility; galvanic corrosion between multi-material connection configurations; and material compatibility between the resin matrix and the alternative reinforcements.