SBIR Phase I: Three-Dimensional Simulation of Polymer Coextrusion using a Fixed Finite Element Mesh

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目涉及软件的开发，用于精确模拟聚合物共挤出。新的共挤出软件将使用独特的专有本构理论，可以准确地捕捉聚合物的复杂流变行为。在共挤出模拟过程中，共挤出系统中四面体有限元的三维网格保持不变。不需要不同聚合物之间的界面与有限元边界匹配，而是允许界面穿过有限元。新的软件将提供设计工程师以及工程专业的学生一个有用的工具来进行数值实验，优化共挤出系统。许多不同类型的公司，包括塑料材料供应商，塑料零件制造商和挤出设备制造商，将能够使用该软件降低成本并增加收入。

This Small Business Innovative Research Phase I project involves development of asoftware for an accurate simulation of polymer co-extrusion. The new co-extrusion software will use a unique proprietary constitutive theory, which can accurately capture the complex rheological behavior of polymers. The three-dimensional mesh of tetrahedral finite elements in the co-extrusion system will remain unaltered during the co-extrusion simulation. Instead of requiring the interface between different polymers to match with finite element boundaries, the interface will be allowed to cut through the finite elements. The new software will provide design engineers as well as engineering students a useful tool to perform numerical experiments for optimization of co-extrusion systems. Many different types of companies, including plastic material suppliers, plastic part manufacturers and extrusion equipment manufacturers, will be able to cut cost and increase revenues using this software.