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Structural and Impact Analysis of Large Composite Container

LS-DYNA Consulting Services - Composite Analysis Experts

Analysis

LS-DYNA

Objective

Analyze the complete loading sequence of a large composite container from static pressurization loads to PSD transporation loading to rail impact to transient dynamic drop testing.

Composite Analysis from Static to Impact to Transient Dynamic with LS-DYNA

LS-DYNA is well known in the automotive world for its ability to simulate extreme nonlinear transient events such as car crashes. In the aerospace world, it is the standard for turbine blade-out or aircraft seat crash analysis or bird strike. A common theme to its usage is the simulation of short duration events or one might say millisecond events. These types of simulations are solved using an explicit numerical technique. Although well-suited for these dynamic applications it is a tough fit for applications where the loading is static in nature and an equilibrium solution is required. For this type of analysis, an implicit approach is much better suited. With recent advantages over the last several years, LS-DYNA is now fully capable of both implicit and explicit type analyses using the same FEA model. In the example shown in Figure 1, our engineering team ran a complete suite of load cases from static pressurization, PSD spectrum analysis for aircraft transport, quasi-state rail impact at 4g and then multiple transient drop test cases from edge to flat bottom. A video walkthrough of this work is available by clicking on Figure 1. More details on this work can be found in our LS-DYNA Conference Paper “Broad-Spectrum Stress and Vibration Analysis of Large Composite Container”. 

Figure 1 - Example of glass-fiber vacuum-infused-process composite container - Predictive Engineering LS-DYNA Consulting Services
Figure 1 - Example of glass-fiber vacuum-infused-process composite container - Predictive Engineering LS-DYNA Consulting Services

 

Figure 2 - FEA model of composite container – built with FEMAP and analyzed with LS-DYNA
Figure 3: Composite material modeling from test to verification to *MAT_54 material card
Figure 4 - Laminate layups through transition regions requiring ply drop-offs
Figure 5: Analysis procedure from bolt preload / gravity to explicit impact / drop analysis with CPU scaling
Figure 6: LS-DYNA PSD analysis was performed using an enveloped spectra - LS-DYNA Consulting Services
Figure 7: Static decompression loading of the composite container to complete failure