Computational Speed-Up of Complex Durability Analysis of Large-Scale Composite Structures

The analysis of modern structures for aerospace, infrastructure, and automotive engineering applications necessitates the use of larger and larger computational models for accurate prediction of structural response. The ever-increasing size of computational structural mechanics (CSM) simulations imposes a pressing need for commensurate increases in computational speed to keep costs and computation times in check. Innovative methods are needed to expedite the numerical analysis of complex structures while minimizing computational costs. The need for these methodologies is even more critical when performing durability and damage tolerance evaluation as the computation is repeated a number of times for various loading conditions. . This paper describes a breakthrough for efficient and accurate predictive methodologies that are amenable to the analysis of progressive failure, reliability, and optimization of large-scale composite structures or structural components. Progressive Failure Analysis (PFA) can significantly improve the analysis accuracy and evaluation of the structural components. The PFA of structures under service load determines the critical damage events, the failure load and the failure mechanisms associated with each damage event, NDE inspection, and the final residual strength of the component. This PFA computation leads to integrated design/analysis disciplines of material, structural model, and the damage tracking technique. However, direct links to the finite element analysis (FEA) typically require several iterations to converge. Each iteration may require simultaneous changes in material and structural parameters, in order to understand and predict the new structural response under hygral service loads. The work presented in the paper summarizes results from a comprehensive on-going research program sponsored by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop an innovative Ultra Rapid Technology including advanced parallel processing software, reconfigurable hardware and real time dynamic forced partitioning to perform accurate Progressive Failure Analysis of Large Scale structural components. The resulting methodology is utilized for the Durability and Damage Tolerance (D&DT) of structures under service loading, as well as the real time health monitoring of the diagnostic and prognostic and intelligent field repair techniques for composite commercial and military components.