Failure Initiation Prediction for Reliability-Based Design of Hybrid Composite Materials

The opportunity identified here is to expand the capabilities of Multicontinuum Technology (MCT) for prediction of failure initiation in complex (hybrid) composites. A successful Phase 1 project will demonstrate good correlation of MCT variables with initial failure in composites with complex multiscale reinforcement architectures. A Phase 2 project would refine the predictive capabilities, embody the capabilities in user friendly software, and construct an application analysis environment within a probabilistic framework. The specific opportunity is to develop and demonstrate theory and associate computational tools that will be highly effective for structural analysis and initial failure prediction for complex hybrid composite material systems. The MCT approach is a computationally inexpensive finite element based multiscale approach that decomposes the complex heterogeneous material response into fundamental variables that directly relate to actual physical damage/failure at the microstructural level. MCT failure predictions will be compared with experimental data found in the literature for a triaxial braid reinforced material.