Structural Optimizations of Different Load-Carrying Members Based on Low Structural Performance Through Computational Structural Analysis

Load withstanding characteristics are one of the major considerations involved in structural engineering because the lifetime factor is directly proportional to load withstanding behavior. Thus, this work computationally analyzes the load withstanding behavior of various sandwich lightweight composite materials under the given flexural load. In this work, four major materials are imposed under flexural loads for two different cum prime core structures such as hexagonal cross-section and twisted cum integrated pentagonal cross-section. The major materials implemented for this comparative investigation are Aluminium Alloy, CFRP, GFRP, and KFRP. All the computational composite models are constructed through the advanced computational tool (i.e., ANSYS Workbench). Finally, the best structures with respect to their lightweight materials are shortlisted to withstand a high amount of flexural loads. According to this comprehensive study, the CFRP-based honeycomb sandwich composite performed better than all other lightweight materials.

Model-Assisted Guided-Wave-Based Approach for Disbond Detection and Size Estimation in Honeycomb Sandwich Composites

One of the axioms of structural health monitoring states that the severity of damage assessment can only be done in a learning mode under the supervision of an expert. Therefore, a numerical analysis was conducted to gain knowledge regarding the influence of the damage size on the propagation of elastic waves in a honeycomb sandwich composite panel. Core-skin debonding was considered as damage. For this purpose, a panel was modelled taking into account the real geometry of the honeycomb core using the time-domain spectral element method and two-dimensional elements. The presented model was compared with the homogenized model of the honeycomb core and validated in the experimental investigation. The result of the parametric study is a function of the influence of damage on the amplitude and energy of propagating waves.

Fire behaviour of a Carbon/Nomex honeycomb sandwich composite used in aircraft interior

Fire behaviour of a carbon/Nomex honeycomb composite, used as ceiling panel in aircraft interiors, was investigated in Cone Calorimeter at different incident heat fluxes, ranging from 20 to 70 kW/m2. The material exhibited good fire performance with relatively low amount of heat release and long ignition times. Combustion of the material at 40 kW/m2 proceeded in one stage, while at higher heat fluxes two stages were observed. The burning mechanisms and char formation during thermal decomposition at different heat fluxes was also examined. The long tail after flame-out in heat release curves and the significant increase of CO production and mass loss were analysed with respect to char residue.

Artificial Neural Network–Particle Swarm Optimization (ANN-PSO) Approach for Behaviour Prediction and Structural Optimization of Lightweight Sandwich Composite Heliostats

The necessity to diminish the heliostats’ cost so that central tower concentrating solar power (CSP) systems can stride to the forefront to become the technology of choice for generating renewable electricity is obliging the industry to consider innovative designs, leading to new materials being implemented into the development of heliostats. Honeycomb sandwich composites offer a lightweight but stiff structure that appear to be an ideal substitute for existing heliostat mirrors and their steel supporting trusses, avoiding large drive units and reducing energy consumption. However, realizing a honeycomb sandwich composite as a heliostat, among a multitude of possible combinations can be tailored from, that delivers the best trade-off between the panel’s weight reduction (broadly equates to cost) and structural integrity is cumbersome and challenging due to the complex nonlinear material behaviour, along with the large number of design variables and performance constraints. We herein offer a simulation–optimization model for behaviour prediction and structural optimization of lightweight honeycomb sandwich composite heliostats utilizing artificial neural network (ANN) technique and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Considering various honeycomb core configurations and several loading conditions, a thorough investigation was carried out to optimally choose the training algorithm, number of neurons in the hidden layer, activation function in a network and the suitable swarm size that delivers the best performance for convergence and processing time. Carried out for three case scenarios, each with different design requirements, the results showed that the proposed integrated ANN-PSO approach provides a useful, flexible and time-efficient tool for heliostat designers to predict and optimize the structural performance of honeycomb sandwich composite-based heliostats as per desired requirements. Knowing that heliostats in the field are not all subjected to the same wind conditions, this method offers flexibility to tailor heliostats independently, allowing them to be made lighter depending on the local wind speed in the field. This could lead to reductions in the size of drive units used to track the heliostat, and the foundations required to support these structures. Such reductions would deliver real cost savings, which are currently an impediment to the wider spread use of CSP systems.

Finite Element Analysis of Honeycomb Sandwich Composite Structures With Various Joints

This work focuses on the numerical investigation of mechanical properties of aluminium honeycomb sandwich composite structures with lap and butt joints. The joints are bonded using adhesive, welded and bolted which were designed using CATIA software. The static and dynamic structural analyses were performed to compute the mechanical properties of aluminium honeycomb composite structures with various joints using ANSYS software. Finally, the models were developed for estimating the failure strength of joints in honeycomb sandwich composite structures.