基于车内振动控制的多万向节相位优化

在简述传动轴扭转振动研究现状的基础上,针对万向节相位布置建立车内振动控制的平面多万向节传动的数学模型,并将该模型应用于实车优化方案的制定,仿真与试验结果表明优化方案是有效的与合理的,同时也在车内振动控制方面为平面多万向节相位布置的设计提供指导思路。     

Optimization of Sandwich Composites Fuselages Under Flight Loads

The sandwich composites fuselages appear to be a promising choice for the future aircrafts because of their structural efficiency and functional integration advantages. However, the design of sandwich composites is more complex than other structures because of many involved variables. In this paper, the fuselage is designed as a sandwich composites cylinder, and its structural optimization using the finite element method (FEM) is outlined to obtain the minimum weight. The constraints include structural stability and the composites failure criteria. In order to get a verification baseline for the FEM analysis, the stability of sandwich structures is studied and the optimal design is performed based on the analytical formulae. Then, the predicted buckling loads and the optimization results obtained from a FEM model are compared with that from the analytical formulas, and a good agreement is achieved. A detailed parametric optimal design for the sandwich composites cylinder is conducted. The optimization method used here includes two steps: the minimization of the layer thickness followed by tailoring of the fiber orientation. The factors comprise layer number, fiber orientation, core thickness, frame dimension and spacing. Results show that the two-step optimization is an effective method for the sandwich composites and the foam sandwich cylinder with core thickness of 5 mm and frame pitch of 0.5 m exhibits the minimum weight.     

Design and scheduling for flexible manufacturing cells with automatic set-up equipment

A flexible manufacturing cell (FMC) has become of major interest recently as a new machining unit for low-volume, variety production. However, set-up operations for workpieces have not yet been automated in the usual FMC. In this paper, the design and scheduling problems for FMC with automatic set-up equipment are discussed. The FMC consists of a machining centre, an industrial robot, a loading-unloading station and an index-pallet changer. First, the design and control system of the FMC is explained. Then a scheduling algorithm is developed to achieve the minimum total production time in order to operate the FMC effectively. As this FMC has finite buffer spaces on the index-pallet changer, this model can be regarded as a two-machine flow-shop problem with finite buffer spaces. Next, an algorithm for determining the optimum number of buffer spaces is constructed to design the FMC using the results of scheduling. Finally, a numerical example is given for demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.     

Comparative evaluation between E-Glass and hemp fiber composites application in rotorcraft interiors

The present paper describes concepts and a preliminary project of a helicopter device, to investigate the use of natural fiber composites for semi-structural applications, such as electronic racks. The aim of the study consists on the evaluation of the substitution of the steel electronic rack, mounted on the helicopter Eurocopter AS 350 Écureuil, with a new version, utilizing hemp fabric/epoxy composite material. This replacement will permit to have an environmental friendly product and lower disposal costs and weight. Lower weight for helicopters and more in general for aircraft means lower fuel consumption, lower pollution and costs. The new rack has been designed using structural static and dynamic analysis through Finite Element Method (FEM). Results are promising from the structural point of view. In fact, a weight reduction of 8.01 kg (55.6%) with respect to steel has been obtained without significantly increasing the production cost. A comparison with glass fabric/epoxy composites is also provided. The results for both the composite materials are very similar, but the advantages for the environment demonstrate that is worthy choosing natural fiber composites configuration.     

含碳增强体镁基复合材料的制备和界面调控的研究现状及发展趋势

镁基复合材料具有极强的设计性,有望满足航空航天、军工产品制造以及电子封装等领域对低密度、高强度和高刚度材料的需求。但是,现在镁基复合材料的性能还有许多问题需要解决,最突出的是增强体的均匀分散和界面问题。本文综述了镁基复合材料的组成及其各自的作用,分析了制约高性能镁基复合材料的增强体分散和界面优化以及目前镁基复合材料力学性能的局限性,展望了镁基复合材料的设计新思路和发展趋势。     

Particle swarm optimization approach for multi-objective composite box-beam design

This paper presents a multi-agent search technique to design an optimal composite box-beam helicopter rotor blade. The search technique is called particle swarm optimization (‘inspired by the choreography of a bird flock’). The continuous geometry parameters (cross-sectional dimensions) and discrete ply angles of the box-beams are considered as design variables. The objective of the design problem is to achieve (a) specified stiffness value and (b) maximum elastic coupling. The presence of maximum elastic coupling in the composite box-beam increases the aero-elastic stability of the helicopter rotor blade. The multi-objective design problem is formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem and solved collectively using particle swarm optimization technique. The optimal geometry and ply angles are obtained for a composite box-beam design with ply angle discretizations of 10°, 15° and 45°. The performance and computational efficiency of the proposed particle swarm optimization approach is compared with various genetic algorithm based design approaches. The simulation results clearly show that the particle swarm optimization algorithm provides better solutions in terms of performance and computational time than the genetic algorithm based approaches.     

Strength design of composite beam using gradient and particle swarm optimization

This work addresses the optimum design of a composite box-beam structure subject to strength constraints. Such box-beams are used as the main load carrying members of helicopter rotor blades. A computationally efficient analytical model for box-beam is used. Optimal ply orientation angles are sought which maximize the failure margins with respect to the applied loading. The Tsai–Wu–Hahn failure criterion is used to calculate the reserve factor for each wall and ply and the minimum reserve factor is maximized. Ply angles are used as design variables and various cases of initial starting design and loadings are investigated. Both gradient-based and particle swarm optimization (PSO) methods are used. It is found that the optimization approach leads to the design of a box-beam with greatly improved reserve factors which can be useful for helicopter rotor structures. While the PSO yields globally best designs, the gradient-based method can also be used with appropriate starting designs to obtain useful designs efficiently.     

Torsion fatigue behavior of unidirectional carbon/epoxy and glass/epoxy composites

This paper presents results of the feasibility of carbon/epoxy composites (CFRP) as a future helicopter flexbeam material. Torsional behaviors of unidirectional CFRP and glass/epoxy composites (GFRP) with the same resin matrix were investigated. The initial torsional rigidity of CFRP was almost identical to that of GFRP. The torsional rigidities calculated using finite element analyses (FEA) agreed with the experimental results: the torsional rigidities are governed mainly by the material’s shear stiffness. Torsion fatigue tests were also conducted by controlling the angle of twist of the sinusoidal wave under a constant tensile axial load. No catastrophic failure occurred with either GFRP or CFRP, although decreased amplitudes of torque and torsional rigidities were observed according to the number of cycles. Results of X-ray CT inspections and numerical calculation by FEA revealed that degradation of a torsional rigidity is caused mainly by splitting crack propagation along the fiber direction. The torsion fatigue life of CFRP was superior to that of GFRP. Consequently, results confirmed that CFRP exhibits excellent properties as a torsional element of a helicopter flexbeam in terms of torsional rigidity and tension–torsion fatigue behaviors.     

基于拓扑优化的直升机旋翼桨叶剖面设计

提出了一种基于拓扑优化的直升机旋翼桨叶剖面设计方法。采用了有限元方法计算直升机旋翼桨叶剖面刚度特性, 截面考虑了剪切和翘曲变形, 并消除了翘曲位移和刚体位移之间的耦合作用。基于SIMP拓扑优化算法, 以旋翼桨叶平均柔度或者剖面刚度为设计目标, 桨叶重量为约束函数, 建立了旋翼桨叶拓扑优化模型。提出的敏度求解算法具有较高的计算精度, 采用序列线性规划算法对旋翼桨叶剖面进行优化设计。结果表明在展长较小并且承受均布升力载荷情况下, Ⅱ型截面梁的柔度最小, 而当展长增大时, 工字梁截面具有最小的柔度。此外, 旋翼桨叶外载荷等对优化结果也有较大的影响。提出的拓扑优化方法适合于概念设计阶段的直升机旋翼桨叶剖面设计。     

Transverse vibration of a two-segment cross-ply composite shafts with a lumped mass

The advantages of having higher stiffness to weight ratio and strength to weigh ratio that composite materials have resulted in an increasing interest in them. In automotive engineering, weight savings has positive impacts on other attributes like fuel economy, performance and possibly noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). The driveline of an automotive system can be a target for possible weight reduction. This can be done through the use of composite materials. The design of the driveshaft of an automotive system is primarily driven by its natural frequency. This paper presents an exact solution for the vibration of a cross-ply laminated composite driveshaft with an intermediate joint. The joint is modeled as a frictionless internal hinge. The Euler–Bernoulli beam theory is used. Lumped masses are placed on each side of the joint to represent the joint mass. Equations of motion are developed using the appropriate boundary conditions and then solved exactly.     

A nondestructive approach to correlate the interfacial defects induced during processing of MMCs and CMCs with the consolidation parameters

An ultrasonic nondestructive methodology for evaluating the consolidation and microstructure of advanced fiber-reinforced composites has been developed to aid in their design and fabrication. The use of this nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technique can enable optimization of the processing parameters to obtain complete densification around the fibers. In addition, the methodology can be used to ensure that the composite panels are devoid of any global problems such as fiber swimming, ply delamination, embedded manufacturing anomalies such as voids, etc. Such a post processing NDE is also essential before any interfacial characterization is performed. The technique described in this paper, being generic, is applicable to both metal matrix and ceramic matrix composites.This work was supported by and performed on-site in the Materials Directorate, Wright Laboratory, Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, USA. Contract nos. F33615-94-C-5213 (T. E. Matikas and P. Karpur), F33615-91-C-5663 (S. Krishnamurthy).     

Deformation Behavior of Carbon Fiber/Al Composites with Corrugated Structure for Developing the Rolling Plate

Herein, a rolling strategy for carbon fiber (CF)/Al composites is proposed, that is, by constructing a corrugated structure of Sn-protected CFs ([CF@Sn]≈Al composites), to realize the cooperative extension of woven CFs with Al matrix deformation in the rolling process. The matching extension feasibility and structural optimization of (CF@Sn]≈Al composites are calculated based on the designed 3D numerical model of rolling system. The [CF@Sn]≈Al composites have successfully combined excellent mechanical properties while meeting the extension design of the CF reinforcement. Mechanical testing of the samples indicates that the tensile strength of the [CF@Sn]≈Al composites increases by 18.6% while the bending strength is more than 23.2% higher than that of the rolled Al matrix. The present work provides an effective method for developing the deformed CF/Al composites as rolling plate in lightweight applications.     

Optimization of delamination factor in drilling GFR–polypropylene composites

Glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene composites often replace the conventional materials due to their special or unique mechanical properties. As the applications of these composites increase for a number of industries, drilling of these composites is inevitable for subsequent composite product manufacturing stage. In the drilling of composites, the thrust force is induced during the drilling operation; as a result, it causes damage. This damage is characterized by the delamination factor, which depends on the machining parameters such as speed of the spindle, feed rate, and drill diameter. The study on the delamination in the drilling of glass fiber-reinforced polypropylene is limited and has been carried out comprehensively. The effect of machining parameters on delamination in the drilling of glass fiber-strengthened polypropylene (GFR-PP) composites is studied through the Box–Bhenken design. Response surface method, along with the desirability analysis, is used for modeling and optimization of delamination factor in the drilling. The result proves that the models are effectively used to forecast the delamination in the drilling of GFR-PP composites. Also, the result indicates that the foremost issue that influences the delamination is the feed rate.     

无机颗粒增强聚合物基复合材料耐磨性能影响因素研究进展

为了更好地指导无机颗粒增强聚合物基耐磨复合材料的优化设计,全面回顾了复合材料各组分对复合材料耐磨性能的影响。根据复合材料组成,将无机颗粒增强聚合物基复合材料耐磨性能影响因素分成5类:纳米/微米无机颗粒填充量、纳米/微米填充颗粒粒径、不同粒径无机颗粒的级配、无机颗粒与纤维的协同增强和无机颗粒表面处理。从能量角度,即各因素对材料内部结合键的断裂所吸收的外部冲击功和摩擦功的影响,分析了各因素对复合材料耐磨性能的影响。在回顾前两个因素对复合材料耐磨性影响时,发现都存在使材料耐磨性能最佳的最佳颗粒填充量和最佳颗粒粒径。对于微米颗粒(粒径50μm),颗粒填充量比粒径对复合材料耐磨性能影响更大,应尽可能提高颗粒最佳填充量。对于纳米颗粒,颗粒粒径则是影响材料耐磨性能的关键因素,应尽可能降低最佳颗粒粒径。另外,颗粒的表面改性和级配都能通过提高颗粒最佳填充量和综合力学性能来提高复合材料的耐磨性能。无机颗粒与纳米纤维的混杂填充使复合材料同时具备最优的耐磨性能、摩擦系数以及优异的变载荷适应性。     

Stress Rupture of PMC's in End-Loaded Bending

This paper introduces a method to study the time dependent behavior of polymer matrix composites. An end-loaded bending method and fixture are developed to emphasize the contribution of changes in matrix properties to the behavior of fiber dominated composites loaded in the fiber direction. This method has distinct advantages over other methods such as tensile stress rupture and three- and four-point bending rupture methods. This paper discusses the design and fabrication of an end-loaded bending fixture. A brief analysis is presented which relates strain level to end-to-end distance, eliminating the need for strain gauges. Time-dependent rupture in bending of polymer matrix composites is reported.     

Continuous carbon nanotube reinforced composites

Carbon nanotubes are considered short fibers, and polymer composites with nanotube fillers are always analogues of random, short fiber composites. The real structural carbon fiber composites, on the other hand, always contain carbon fiber reinforcements where fibers run continuously through the composite matrix. With the recent optimization in aligned nanotube growth, samples of nanotubes in macroscopic lengths have become available, and this allows the creation of composites that are similar to the continuous fiber composites with individual nanotubes running continuously through the composite body. This allows the proper utilization of the extreme high modulus and strength predicted for nanotubes in structural composites. Here, we fabricate such continuous nanotube polymer composites with continuous nanotube reinforcements and report that under compressive loadings, the nanotube composites can generate more than an order of magnitude improvement in the longitudinal modulus (up to 3,300%) as well as damping capability (up to 2,100%). It is also observed that composites with a random distribution of nanotubes of same length and similar filler fraction provide three times less effective reinforcement in composites.     

Application of Damage Tolerance principles to the design of helicopters

The design of helicopters against fatigue phenomena is a particularly important and complex problem, due to the peculiar load spectra, composed by a high number of low-amplitude cycles.The fatigue design methodology most commonly applied by the helicopter community was based on the Safe-Life philosophy, applied anyhow with a particular approach. Since 1989, the Airworthiness Regulations evolved towards the application of Damage Tolerance principles also to rotorcraft. This change has forced the helicopter industries to review their design methodologies, and to face new problems, linked with fracture mechanics applications to their typical structures. Flaws, accidental damages and manufacturing discrepancies must be accounted for, in addition to the retirement life based on Safe-Life.The paper reviews the current requirements and presents and discusses the methodologies that the helicopter industry adopts for demonstrating compliance with such regulatory requirements. In addition, recommendations are given on research and development activities required for refining the defined methodologies and for their better implementation.     

Self-repair of structural and functional composites with intrinsically self-healing polymer matrices: A review

Self-healing is a smart and promising way to make materials more reliable and longer lasting. In the case of structural or functional composites based on a polymer matrix, very often mechanical damage in the polymer matrix or debonding at the matrix–filler interface is responsible for the decrease in intended properties. This review describes the healing behavior in structural and functional polymer composites with a so-called intrinsically self-healing polymer as the continuous matrix. A clear similarity in the healing of structural and functional properties is demonstrated which can ultimately lead to the design of polymer composites that autonomously restore multiple properties using the same self-healing mechanism.     

Linear and nonlinear torsional behavior of unidirectional CFRP and GFRP

The helicopter bearingless rotor flexbeam is usually made of glass-fiber reinforced plastic composite (GFRP). Carbon-fiber composites (CFRP) are candidate for future flexbeam materials due to their superior tensile fatigue strength. This research examines the feasibility of CFRP as a future flexbeam material. The torsion behaviors of unidirectional CFRP and GFRP with the same matrix resin were investigated. As a result, it was confirmed that the behavior of both CFRP and GFRP is comprised of linear/nonlinear domains. The initial torsional rigidity of CFRP was almost the same as that of GFRP. The torsional rigidities calculated from Lekhnitskii’s equations agreed with the experimental results, and they are mainly determined by the shear stiffness of the materials. The nonlinear torsional behavior was observed above 0.5% of the shear strain, and it is due to plastic deformation of the matrix resin. A 3D plasticity model proposed by Sun et al. was applied to the plasticity parameters obtained from off-axis tensile tests. The numerical curves agree with the experimental data below 1.5% of the shear strain. The experimental result suggests that GFRP can be replaced by CFRP as torsional elements of a helicopter flex beam without an increase in torsional rigidity.     

Machine selection in flexible manufacturing cell: A fuzzy multiple attribute decision-making approach

Flexible manufacturing cells (FMC) have been used as a tool to implement flexible manufacturing processes to increase the competitiveness of manufacturing systems. In implementing an FMC, decision-makers encounter the machine selection problem including attributes, e.g. machine type, cost, number of machines, floor space and planned expenditures. This paper proposes a fuzzy multiple attribute decision-making (FMADM) model to assist the decision-maker to deal with the machine selection problem for an FMC realistically and economically. In addition, the membership functions of weights for those attributes are determined in accordance with their distinguishability and robustness when the ranking is performed.