GOALI: Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of Electromagnetically Formed Aluminum

提出的工作目标是对铝合金的电磁成形（EMF）进行系统的研究，预计将：a)了解实验观察到的铝的延展性增加的机制，b)建立设计实际此类过程所需的建模能力，c)在这一新的研究领域教育学生，并以最有效的方式传播所创造的知识。该方法有理论和实验组成部分，并涉及产学研合作。该工作的新颖之处是对包括大应变、粘塑性和惯性效应在内的完全耦合的热-机械和电磁问题进行建模。建模能力是设计电动势过程不可或缺的组成部分，因为与标准板材成形操作的设计不同（由于使用专门的商业FEM软件包，目前高度发达），电动势过程的设计目前不存在，在很大程度上是由于缺乏适当的耦合物理模型。更广泛的影响和效益：EMF技术是一种环境友好、灵活、经济高效的实现高速金属板成形的方法，与传统技术相比具有相当大的优势。这是一项先进的技术，越来越多地应用于汽车和航空航天领域。这项工作预计将使该领域受益，通过制定完全耦合问题和开发可靠的数值解决算法，为实际的EMF过程提供预测能力，并得到实验验证的支持。在这个研究领域，美国铝业公司和通用汽车公司（通用汽车公司为这里报告的初步工作提供了种子资金）和密歇根大学之间的现有合作，为传播所创造的知识提供了一个自然的网络，而学生们将在学术和工业环境中工作。

The objective of the proposed work is a systematic investigation of Electromagnetic Forming (EMF) of aluminum alloys, which is expected to: a) understand the mechanisms for the experimentally observed increased ductility in aluminum, b) establish the modeling capability required for the design of realistic such processes and c) educate students in this new research area and disseminate the knowledge created in the most efficient way.The approach has a theoretical and an experimental component and involves Industry - University collaboration. The novel element of the proposed work is the modeling of the fully coupled thermo-mechanical and electromagnetic problem with large strain, viscoplastic and inertia effects included. Modeling capability is an indispensable ingredient for the design of EMF processes, since, unlike the design of standard sheet forming operations (which are currently highly developed due to the use of specialized commercial FEM packages), the design of EMF processes is presently non-existent due, in good measure, to the lack of appropriate coupled-physics models.Broader impact and Benefits of the work: EMF technology is an environmentally friendly, flexible and cost-effective method of implementing high-velocity sheet metal forming that has considerable advantages over conventional techniques. It is an advanced technology that is finding an increasing number of automotive and aerospace applications. The work is expected to benefit the field by providing predictive capability for realistic EMF processes through the formulation of the fully coupled problem and the development of reliable numerical solution algorithms, backed by experimental validations. The existing collaboration in this research area between Alcoa and GM (who provided the seed funding for the preliminary work reported here) and Michigan, provides a natural network for the dissemination of the knowledge created, while the students will work in both academic and industrial environments.