Probabilistic Physics-based design of Composite (and Novel) Materials & Structures for pre-defined Hi-Reliability and Life Expectancy

Composite materials are being used in greater quantities for military combat vehicles and other hardware in an effort to improve the overall performance by making them lighter, stiffer, and have greater damage tolerance. The operating environment for military may present unique hazards such as projectiles from small arms and shrapnel. These hazards may produce holes in the composite by shearing the material, cause delamination, cracking, or a combination of each type of failure. In order to make structures safer, it is critical to accurately model and predict the damage initiation and its progression in composites that requires appropriately accounting for uncertainties associated with the composite material properties, manufacturing processes and loading conditions. N&R Engineering and GERT are proposing to establish a methodology for modeling the failure process of a composite structure while accounting for manufacturing, material, and loading uncertainties. The peridynamic theory will be used to model the failure process in a composite structure. The probabilistic analysis will be used quantify the probability of failure and sensitivity of the structural response to input variables. The methodology will include modules that determine composite properties from its constituents’ properties and geometric configuration, structural analysis, and probabilistic analysis including a sensitivity analysis.