Software Tool Development for Composite Airframe Durability Analysis

KaZaK Composites proposes to combine several key developments from the DARPA Accelerated Insertion of Materials - Composites (AIM-C) program with a commercial nonlinear finite element code to realize (i) a robust methodology for evaluation of composite structure long-term durability; and (ii) software tools for predicting the onset of failure and tracking damage growth all the way to final failure. The developments from AIM-C will include strain invariant failure theory (SIFT), accelerated testing methodology (ATM), element failure method (EFM), and a software package for material durability evaluation. Phase I efforts will involve (i) extension of fundamental underlying principles governing composite material failure; (ii) initial software development, integration, and testing; (iii) demonstration of capability for predicting composite durability using a simple test specimen; (iv) start of planning for an extensive Phase II testing program to verify the software's predictive capabilities; and (v) a commercialization plan for software tools. This work will help shift current testing-intensive building block approach to airframe certification to one based on using verified analysis tools to perform "virtual" testing and simulation. KaZaK's team includes Professor Stephen Tsai of Stanford University. Professor Tsai is internationally recognized for his career-long contributions to the field of composite materials and structures.