Potential impact of additive manufacturing and topology optimization inspired lightweight design on vehicle track performance

This paper describes an interactive approach for analyzing the impact of the enhanced design freedom in additive manufacturing (AM) combined with topology optimization. The main goal is to identify weight saving potentials on a holistic vehicle level and evaluate the influence on vehicle performance by means of lap time savings. Therefore lightweight use cases enabled by AM are gathered in a database. Projecting the weight reduction rates of this database to a sports car as reference vehicle by means of a weight list, CAD data and a part relation analysis leads to an overall weight saving potential. This analysis shows significant weight saving potentials for each technical section of an already lightweight design focused sports car, namely the Bugatti Chiron. The improvement in track performance considering the weight savings is put into perspective by means of lap time simulation on the Nürburgring Nordschleife and corroborate the identified weight saving potentials.

Evaluation of Prestrain Annealing Impact on Nanomaterial Sensitization

Light metal alloys are extensively used in automotive, aerospace, aircraft, and military sectors since their lightweight leads to reduced energy consumption, increased fuel efficiency, and better environmental protection. In the present situation, nanomaterials are the potential candidate for weight saving in the structural application and can meet stringent government norms. Nanomaterial was heat-treated in the furnace to about a certain temperature and time and then normalized for strengthening. The heat-treated nanomaterial undergoes different forging processes, namely, hot forging and cold forging, using a certain capacity’s hydraulic press. Hence, in this work, an extensive study on the influence of the prestrain annealing, the corrosion rate on differently treated samples, and the effect of sensitization heat treatment on the nanomaterial was done.

Optimization of a Totally Fiber-Reinforced Plastic Composite Sandwich Construction of Helicopter Floor for Weight Saving, Fuel Saving and Higher Safety

The application of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites as structural elements of air vehicles provides weight saving, which results in a reduction in fuel consumption, fuel cost, and air pollution, and a higher speed. The goal of this research was to elaborate a new optimization method for a totally FRP composite construction for helicopter floors. During the optimization, 46 different layer combinations of 4 different FRP layers (woven glass fibers with phenolic resin; woven glass fibers with epoxy resin; woven carbon fibers with epoxy resin; hybrid composite) and FRP honeycomb core structural elements were investigated. The face sheets were composed of a different number of layers with cross-ply, angle-ply, and multidirectional fiber orientations. During the optimization, nine design constraints were considered: deflection; face sheet stress (bending load, end loading); stiffness; buckling; core shear stress; skin wrinkling; intracell buckling; and shear crimping. The single-objective weight optimization was solved by applying the Interior Point Algorithm of the Matlab software, the Generalized Reduced Gradient (GRG) Nonlinear Algorithm of the Excel Solver software, and the Laminator software. The Digimat-HC software solved the numerical models for the optimum sandwich plates of helicopter floors. The main contribution is developing a new method for optimizing a totally FRP composite sandwich structure—due to its material constituents and construction—that is more advantageous than traditional helicopter floors. A case study validated this fact.

Design development, calculation of technological and strength characteristics of a flat-chamber electrobaromembrane apparatus

The fundamentals of the development of an optimized design of a flat-chamber electrobaromembrane apparatus are considered. It is shown that the design of the structures of electromembrane devices for separating solutions of chemical and machine-building productions can be carried out taking into account the weight saving of the PA-6 structural material (caprolone) of the initial workpiece. It is noted, that for the developed design of an electrobaromembrane device for separating industrial chargetransferring solutions, a possible solution is a two-circuit solution supply scheme (sequential circulation). It is shown, that the design of the apparatus for the electrobaromembrane separation of solutions of chemical and machine-building productions is associated with finding the total area of membrane filtration. Keywords: calculation, area, separation, solution, apparatus, stress-strain state. [email protected]

Computational Investigation of through the Width Delamination of a Composite Laminate using VCCT

The fiber reinforced polymer laminates have found extensive applications because of its advantages over other materials in terms of strength, stiffness, stability, weight saving features, resistance to corrosion and erosion and many more. But due to poor transverse direction strength, a failure mechanism called delamination will occur in case of poor manufacturing or when tools are dropped which would make an impact. In this paper, VCCT is implemented at the interface between base and sub laminate to investigate for 20mm through the width buckling driven delamination growth. The computational prediction of delamination growth initiation is obtained by solving a T300/976 specimen for geometric non linearity using SC8R continuum shell elements of Abaqus CAE and by plotting the required energy release rate at the edge of delamination geometry.

OPTIMIZATION OF DESIGN SPACE OF SUPPORTING WING RIB, WHICH IS MADE BY DIFFERENT STRUCTURAL MATERIALS

The article describes a possibility of airframe weight-saving structural technique during supporting rib development by design space tailoring. For scientific mission is given below the supporting rib, the loading pattern, the shearingforce and bending-moment diagrams. The researches are undertaken by structural calculation aimed to choosing of the supporting rib design space, web thickness, a number of supporting carrier gates. Herewith, it should be noted that requirements of structural availability without crippling and attainment of safety margin are achieved. Calculation and optimization of supporting rib design space held for supporting rib, which is made of different metallic materials. The article says, that usage of modern method of airframe assembly allows to optimize the design spaces of supporting rib and reduce the weight of it. According to researches, analysis of total resulting is done, and recommendations for use are given.

POLYCONIC COMPOSITE LATTICE PAYLOAD ADAPTER AND THE TECHNOLOGY OF ITS MANUFACTURE

The paper proposes a variant of the design of an adapter for several payloads made of composite materials. A computational experiment was carried out using the FEM, a comparison with existing structures is made, and the technology for manufacturing of such structures is described. Significant weight saving of the adapter design is shown in comparison with existing analogs while maintaining the same strength and stiffness margins.

Processing and Characterization of Magnesium-Based Materials

Mg-based materials have become increasingly attractive for industries, where weight saving is of importance (e [...]

Dynamic Response of Drill Floor Considering Propagation of Blast Pressure Subsequent to Blowout

Explosions and fire have very critical safety hazard impacts on offshore oil and gas facilities since they are mostly located in remote areas and could induce serious environmental issues. Explosion risk assessment and structure blast analysis are essential for these production facilities, and research studies have been carried out. Explosion due to blowout during drilling operation is also a critical risk for drilling units, and this has not been researched much until the accident of the drilling unit in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. This paper provides the risk and evaluation of explosion and structure under blast pressure during the drilling operation, whereas previous research studies have mainly been interested in process plants. This study suggests weight saving in drilling units through the consideration of the actual behavior of gas explosion. Weight saving is the priority of offshore unit design due to payload. This research also gives guidelines to select the material-grade-appropriate anti-explosion system through the comparison of several materials by design and result.