Search Results (141)

Thermoplastic composites offer substantial lightweighting potential for body-in-white (BIW). However, the application of long-fibre-reinforced thermoplastic direct processing (LFT-D) to deep-drawn rear-body parts remains largely unexplored. This work presents the first documented LFT-D glass-fibre/polypropylene spare wheel well for a production electric vehicle, validated under a full vehicle-level durability programme. Fibre orientation was characterised by X-ray computed tomography, and both isotropic and orthotropic finite element models were built. Prototypes passed six component-level validation tests: stiffness, constrained modal, thermal cycling, low-temperature impact, stone impact, and a 7000 km road simulation; the orthotropic model, validated against these tests, reduced the first natural frequency prediction error to 3.9%. No structural damage occurred in any test. The composite part achieved 35% mass saving at component level and 54% at system level versus the steel assembly. Adding up to 20 wt% regrind retained >89% of virgin tensile strength (95% confidence interval [CI] lower bound: 89.2%) and >92% of impact strength, and cradle-to-gate CO₂ emissions dropped by 42%. These results show that LFT-D can be applied to large, structurally critical BIW components, delivering both lightweighting and closed-loop recyclability for electric vehicles. Full article

A polyurea-coated carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminated structure is designed to enhance the impact resistance of lithium-ion batteries against ground impact. This paper presents a numerical simulation to investigate the influence of a polyurea-coated CFRP battery pack bottom plate on mitigating battery damage under ground impact conditions. A novel three-dimensional finite element model of the polyurea-coated CFRP laminate, incorporating a hyper-viscoelastic material model for the polyurea coating and an orthotropic model for the CFRP, is established to analyze the impact response and damage behavior of the laminate. The simulated impact peak force, energy absorption, and maximum crack length of the polyurea-coated CFRP laminate are all within 5% of the experimental results. Based on this validated three-dimensional model, a new battery pack simulation model is developed. The battery module model innovatively adopts a hybrid approach that combines homogenized battery module models and detailed battery module models, enabling accurate simulation of localized cell damage and failure during collisions while significantly improving computational efficiency. The punching process after perforation of the polyurea-coated CFRP laminate, the subsequent crack propagation of the plate, and the local deformation modes of individual cells are clearly predicted by the global model. Battery shortening is recorded as an important indicator of internal short circuits and potential thermal runaway. A parametric study is carried out, and several underlying rules are revealed: the front coating method leads to a greater reduction in battery damage, and the stiffness–toughness interplay between the polyurea coating and the carbon fiber composite is identified as a critical factor governing battery damage. This study provides important insights for the design of protective structures for battery packs against ground impact. Full article

The ballistic performance of a non-commercial aramid/epoxy composite laminate subjected to Fragment Simulating Projectile (FSP) impact was investigated through combined experimental testing and numerical simulation. Ballistic tests were performed in accordance with STANAG 2920 to determine the ballistic limit velocity (V₅₀). Complete and partial penetration responses were identified, with the ballistic transition region occurring between 412 and 452 m/s. The experimental ballistic limit was V₅₀ = 440.57 m/s. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed in ANSYS^® AUTODYN 2026 R1 using a Lagrangian formulation and an orthotropic constitutive model incorporating elastic behavior, stress/strain-based failure criteria, post-failure response, and geometric strain erosion. The numerical simulations predicted a ballistic limit of V₅₀ = 440.65 m/s, corresponding to a relative difference of less than 0.03% with respect to the experimental result. The numerical model successfully reproduced the ballistic transition, damage evolution, projectile velocity history, and energy transfer during impact, providing good agreement with the experimentally observed penetration responses. These results demonstrate that the proposed methodology provides a reliable and validated framework for predicting the ballistic response of aramid/epoxy composite laminates under standardized FSP impact conditions and supports the design and evaluation of lightweight composite armor systems. Full article

In this study, a high-order Galerkin–Numerov approach is presented to solve the transient vibration problem of anisotropic Kirchhoff plates supported by a uniform Vlasov foundation. A discretization of the governing fourth-order plate equation is derived based on a mixed boundary value problem and a hybrid Hermite–sine Galerkin formulation, which maintains the C1-continuity properties of classical plate theory. The resulting reduced-order modal system is integrated in time with the Numerov scheme, which is fourth-order accurate, and has a small numerical dispersion and good phase-preserving properties for oscillatory dynamics. The proposed methodology is evaluated using stability and convergence tests and parametric investigations. The fourth-order temporal convergence and rapid spectral-like spatial convergence of the numerical results are validated, and the long-time accuracy and robustness of the formulation is confirmed by the negligible phase error and bounded energy drift. The results from the parametric study indicate that the thickness of the plates and the stiffness of the Winkler foundation are the two most important mechanisms for vibration suppression, while the orthotropic coupling and the Vlasov shear interaction have substantial effects on the modal redistribution and transient deformation properties. The proposed method is compared with the conventional lower-order integration schemes, and it is observed that the method gives better phase fidelity and computational efficiency, and it is possible to predict the vibration amplitude and vibration timing accurately. In addition to the numerical benefits, the framework also provided physical insights on the coupled effect of anisotropy, foundation interaction and boundary restraint. The suggested model is directly applicable for composite floor systems, aerospace panels, foundation supported slabs, biomechanical plate analogs, etc., and smart vibration control platforms. This work thus lays the groundwork for future studies of nonlinear behavior, adaptive foundations and digital twin simulation of structural systems and presents a strong and scalable computational tool for the study of plate–foundation dynamics. Full article

Orthotropic laminates are highly desirable in composite structures because they eliminate bending–twisting coupling, simplify structural behavior, improve analytical predictability, and facilitate structural design, optimization, and certification. However, achieving fully orthotropic behavior in laminated composites remains challenging because conventional laminate architectures generally retain stiffness couplings arising from anisotropic ply orientations and stacking-sequence effects. This work introduces the Tailored Antisymmetric Composite (TAC) concept, a laminate architecture that provides the closest practical approximation to full orthotropy while preserving broad stiffness-tailoring capability and manufacturability. TAC laminates are constructed from tailored antisymmetric sublaminates that enforce $D_{16}=D_{26}=0$ while maintaining extremely small extension–bending coupling terms $B_{16}$ and $B_{26}$. Representative TAC and symmetric Quad laminates were compared analytically, statistically, and experimentally. Monte Carlo simulations comprising 100,000 realizations with realistic ±0.1° AFP/ATL fiber-orientation deviations showed that the distributions of the extension–bending coupling terms $B_{16}^{*}$ and $B_{26 }^{*}$ remained nearly indistinguishable for both laminate architectures, with probability-density overlap coefficients between 0.87 and 0.98. In contrast, the bending–twisting coupling terms $D_{16}^{*}$ and $D_{26}^{*}$ were 140–600 times lower in TAC laminates than in the corresponding Quad laminates, and their statistical distributions exhibited complete separation. Experimental measurements of post-cure warpage confirmed that TAC laminates achieved dimensional stability comparable to symmetric Quad laminates while exhibiting lower variability. These results demonstrate that TAC laminates combine exact elimination of bending–twisting coupling with negligible extension–bending coupling, statistical robustness to realistic manufacturing variability, and excellent dimensional stability, establishing TAC as a practical and systematic route toward full orthotropy in laminated composite structures. Full article

To address the demand for lightweight commercial vehicle suspensions, this study investigates the replacement of traditional spring steel with E-glass fiber/epoxy composite materials. An equal-width, variable-thickness parabolic single-leaf spring was designed, with orthotropic mechanical properties obtained via ASTM standard tests. Finite element analysis (FEA) was combined with multi-objective optimization using a genetic algorithm, adjusting layup parameters to optimize stiffness, strength, and mass. Furthermore, to address the high failure risk at composite joints, a symmetric two-hole bolted end connection and a mid-span clamping structure were designed. The structural integrity was evaluated under vertical load, emergency braking, and steady-state cornering conditions using the Tsai–Wu tensor strength criterion. The optimization results demonstrate an 8.84% mass reduction for the composite spring main body compared to the initial design. The complete composite leaf spring assembly achieved approximately a 60.6% weight reduction relative to the original steel counterpart. The results indicate that the proposed design and optimization methodology effectively fulfills lightweighting objectives while satisfying all suspension performance and operational reliability requirements. Full article

To address the deterioration issues of wet joints in prefabricated steel–UHPC composite bridge decks caused by inadequate interfacial performance, an orthotropic steel–UHPC composite bridge deck system under hogging moments was investigated. A numerical study on the cracking resistance of wet joints was conducted using a cohesive zone model based on the traction–separation law to characterize the interfacial mechanical behavior. The numerical model was validated against experimental results, showing good agreement in terms of crack development and structural response. Subsequently, a parametric analysis was carried out to evaluate the influence of different reinforcement details, UHPC thickness and stud spacing. The results indicated that the adopted cohesive model was capable of accurately simulating the cracking behavior at the wet joint interface. In addition, the cracking resistance of UHPC wet joints could be significantly improved by providing additional reinforcement and reducing the longitudinal stud spacing. Moreover, the results revealed that joint reinforcement primarily enhanced local crack control performance, while having a limited effect on the global load–deflection response of the structure. These findings provide a reliable basis for the design and optimization of wet joint configurations in prefabricated steel–UHPC composite bridge decks. Full article

Circular tunnel linings are geometrically symmetric structures, whereas non-uniform external pressure and different steel–concrete layer arrangements may induce asymmetric stress redistribution. To distinguish the axisymmetric response from the asymmetric harmonic response, this study develops an analytical solution for a two-layer corrugated steel–concrete composite tunnel lining subjected to equivalent external pressure. The concrete layer is modeled as an isotropic elastic material, while the corrugated steel layer is represented as an equivalent cylindrically orthotropic material. The governing equations are formulated in polar coordinates under plane-strain conditions, and the solution is obtained by superposing the axisymmetric component and the harmonic component. Perfect bonding is assumed at the steel–concrete interface, where displacement, radial stress, and shear stress are continuous. The proposed analytical solution is verified using finite element models for three cases: a single-layer homogeneous lining under uniform pressure, a two-layer composite lining under uniform pressure, and a two-layer composite lining under non-uniform pressure. The analytical and finite element results show good agreement, confirming the mathematical consistency and implementation accuracy of the proposed formulation. Based on the verified solution, the effects of layer arrangement, corrugated steel stiffness ratio, and burial depth are investigated. The results show that the corrugated steel layer carries the dominant hoop stress in both layer arrangements. The inner corrugated steel arrangement may be more relevant to internal strengthening of existing tunnels, whereas the outer corrugated steel arrangement provides a useful reference for new composite linings dominated by external ground pressure. Increasing the stiffness ratio transfers more hoop stress to the steel layer and reduces the elastic stress and displacement responses of the concrete layer, although improvement becomes less significant at large stiffness ratios. Increasing burial depth mainly amplifies the response magnitude without changing the overall symmetry pattern. The proposed solution provides a closed-form benchmark for evaluating symmetry-related stress redistribution in corrugated steel–concrete composite tunnel linings within the linear-elastic range. Full article

Surface roughness of woven fabrics plays a key role in tactile comfort and skin–textile interaction, particularly in medical applications involving prolonged contact with human skin. This study focuses on the surface roughness of woven fabrics in plain and twill (1/3 S) weaves intended for hospital bed sheets and bedding applications. Plain weave represents a structurally symmetric system, while twill weave exhibits a pronounced diagonal structure. Roughness was evaluated using the Fabric Touch Tester (FTT) and further analyzed through amplitude (Rq), height distribution (Rku), and frequency-related parameters (linear peak density) obtained by signal processing and peak analysis in OriginPro 2026. The results showed that weave structure is the dominant factor influencing surface topography. Plain weave fabrics exhibited higher amplitude roughness and more uniform height distribution, while twill fabrics showed lower global roughness but stronger directional dependence, particularly in diagonal directions. Linear peak density was not significantly affected by laundering cycles, fiber composition, or finishing, but was strongly dependent on weave type. The findings demonstrate that due to the orthotropic nature of woven fabrics, surface roughness, derived from surface topography, cannot be adequately described by a single parameter, and that a combined analysis of amplitude and spatial descriptors is required, with the surface being evaluated not only along the principal symmetry directions (warp and weft) but also in off-axis directions. These results provide valuable insight for the design of hospital textiles with improved tactile comfort and reduced risk of skin irritation. Full article

Multi-layered shrink-fitted pressure vessels are critical for high-pressure applications, where structural integrity relies on inducing residual compressive stresses to mitigate operational tensile loads. This study presents a comprehensive analytical framework and automated sizing algorithms for both isotropic (metallic) and orthotropic (composite) thick-walled cylinders. Given fundamental design constraints, specifically the internal pressure, inner diameter and layer count, the models determine the optimal radial interferences required for assembly. For metallic configurations, geometric discretization is analytically derived from the Tresca yield criterion to guarantee uniform maximum equivalent stresses across all layers. For composite assemblies, a discrete optimization routine based on Classical Laminate Theory and the Tsai–Wu failure criterion is implemented to identify physically manufacturable repeated-sublaminate configurations, layer thicknesses and macroscopic equivalent properties. In both scenarios, interfacial contact pressures are derived by enforcing strict kinematic compatibility. The analytical stress fields and theoretical contact pressures are subsequently validated against Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations. Ultimately, the proposed algorithms provide an efficient and robust design tool capable of defining precise manufacturing tolerances and structural parameters for advanced high-pressure containment systems. Full article

An analytical model is developed to investigate the bending performance of composite I-beams with corrugated steel web (CSW) under thermo-mechanical coupling. The CSW is idealized as an equivalent orthotropic plate according to the principle of stiffness equivalence and heat conservation. The steady-state temperature field of the composite I-beam cross-section is obtained using the finite difference method. Based on thermoelastic theory, analytical solutions for the stresses and displacements of the composite beam subjected to thermo-mechanical loads are derived by the eigenvalue method and transfer matrix method. The results obtained in this study are compared with available experimental results from a steel–concrete composite bridge deck, ABAQUS (version: 2023) finite element simulations, and the temperature distributions specified by JTG D60-2015, AASHTO 2017 and DIN 101. In addition, the superposition principle for thermo-mechanical conditions is verified by the analytical forms of stress and displacement solutions. And the research results show that increasing interfacial stiffness restrains the relative thermal deformation between the concrete slab and the steel I-beam, thereby increasing temperature-induced stresses and deformations. Finally, a partial thermal insulation method is proposed to mitigate temperature gradients, thermal stresses and upward thermal deformation, thereby improving the service performance of the composite beam under thermal actions. Full article

Honeycomb composites are extensively utilized in critical applications where weight is a concern in a structure, due to their high efficiency in stiffness-to-weight ratio. In this study, the effective elastic orthotropic behavior of honeycomb composites is analytically expressed as a function of the elastic properties of the constituent sheet material and the geometric parameters of the representative unit cell. Closed-form expressions based on classical beam theory and plate theory are evaluated and systematically validated against a high-fidelity finite element analysis FE-based homogenization benchmark constructed from a representative unit cell with in-plane periodic kinematic constraints. The analytical predictions exhibit generally good agreement with the FE results, with plate-theory-based formulations capturing most elastic constants with higher accuracy. To further support the fidelity of the numerical benchmark, the predicted normalized in-plane moduli are additionally compared with published experimental measurements for aluminum honeycombs, demonstrating close agreement for representative specimens. To quantify the influence of the geometric parameters, a Taguchi-style design-of-experiments (DOE) study reveals that relative density and internal cell angle jointly govern the majority of elastic moduli and Poisson’s ratios, while cell height plays a minor role. Furthermore, dedicated parametric studies confirm the cubic thickness-scaling of in-plane moduli ($E_1$, $E_2$, $G_{12}$), demonstrating the dominant role of bending-controlled deformation. Together, these results establish a validated, high-fidelity FE homogenization benchmark for assessing analytical formulations and providing design-level constitutive data for optimizing honeycomb core sandwich structures. Full article

Machining Nomex honeycomb structures presents a major challenge due to their thin-walled architecture, orthotropic behavior, and sensitivity to adhesion and delamination. This study develops a three-dimensional numerical model using Abaqus/Explicit to analyze ultrasonic vibration-assisted milling in longitudinal and longitudinal-torsional modes. The model incorporates orthotropic behavior with progressive damage based on Tsai-Wu and experimental friction calibration to accurately reproduce tribological conditions. A parametric analysis examines the effect of vibration mode, amplitude (5–25 µm), frequency (21–22.5 kHz), cutting width, and tool geometry on stresses, bond wear, and material buildup. An optimal coefficient of friction ensures excellent simulation–experiment agreement. Compared to conventional milling, the longitudinal-torsional configuration reduces cutting forces by up to 50%, while frequency optimization allows for gains of 40 to 60%. Hybrid vibration coupling establishes intermittent contact and oscillatory micro-shearing, limiting adhesion and build-up. Thus, longitudinal-torsional assistance improves tribological stability, tool life and wall integrity, offering a validated digital strategy to optimize ultrasonic milling of composite honeycomb structures. Full article

To investigate the fatigue performance of a novel green low-carbon steel–AAUHPC (Alkali Activated Ultra-high Performance Concrete, AAUHPC) composite bridge deck and achieve its structural optimization, this paper proposes a steel–AAUHPC composite bridge deck structure featuring double-sided welding of U-shaped ribs. Firstly, the numerical model of a symmetrical composite bridge deck is established by ABAQUS finite element software. The stress response of key fatigue structural details is analyzed, and the fatigue life is evaluated based on the S-N curve method. At the same time, the calculation results are compared with the orthotropic steel bridge deck and the steel–UHPC composite bridge deck. Secondly, the CCD method and RSM method are used to construct a mathematical regression model with the structural weight W per unit area and the fatigue stress amplitude of key details as the target. Finally, NSGA-III is used to optimize structural parameters such as AAUHPC thickness, top plate thickness, diaphragm thickness and spacing to obtain the Pareto-optimal solution set. The results show that the AAUHPC material has both environmental protection and excellent mechanical properties, and its compressive and splitting tensile strength is significantly higher than that of ordinary concrete, which is close to the UHPC level. The steel–AAUHPC composite bridge deck can significantly improve the fatigue performance of the orthotropic steel bridge deck. After laying the AAUHPC layer, the stress amplitude of each fatigue detail decreases, and the C1 detail decreases by up to 69.4%. Except for the C6 detail, the rest of the structural details meet the infinite-life design criteria, and the overall improvement effect is comparable to that of the steel–UHPC composite bridge deck. The constructed response surface model has good prediction accuracy. The optimization results show that the fatigue stress amplitude and the structural weight W are mutually restricted. Among the 15 sets of Pareto-optimal solutions obtained, solution U8 achieves weight minimization under the premise of satisfying the infinite-fatigue-life criterion. The optimal parameter combination is: AAUHPC thickness of 40 mm, top plate thickness of 10 mm, diaphragm thickness of 16 mm, and diaphragm spacing of 2400 mm. The research results can provide a theoretical basis for the fatigue design and engineering application of a new green steel–AAUHPC composite bridge deck. Full article

With Aligned Formable Fibre Technology (AFFT^™), fibers are reformatted into highly oriented epoxy prepreg tapes, enabling the structural reuse of recycled composite waste. The present study investigates whether discontinuous fiber laminates produced with AFFT^™ can be characterized and optimized with the same finite-element workflows long established for continuous fiber composites and whether the resulting structures meet demanding stiffness targets. Initially, various manufacturing methods were adopted, including vacuum bagging, compression molding at 7 bar to simulate autoclave conditions, and compression molding at 90 bar, comprising the three most reasonable manufacturing processes for AFFT^™ laminates. Experimentally measured orthotropic properties were introduced into a finite-element model representing an idealized bicycle top tube, which was chosen as a case study. A genetic algorithm screened candidate stacking sequences, minimizing the combined bending-and-torsion deflection. The best lay-ups reduced deformation by more than 30% compared to a quasi-isotropic baseline, showing that well-oriented short fibers can significantly contribute to the stiffness of composites. Tubes produced with the optimized lay-up were tested in three-point bending tests, and the measured stiffness matched simulations within 5%. These results confirm a key point for sustainable engineering: despite the absence of continuous fibers, conventional simulation strategies accurately predict the performance of AFFT^™ laminates and can be used as the basis for effective genetic optimization. This validation is significant: it enables the design of stiff, high-performance structures from recycled materials using established, cost-effective methods. By proving that optimization strategies developed for traditional continuous fiber composites apply to AFFT^™, this study offers a trusted and accessible pathway to scale circular economy solutions in next-generation composite products. Full article