I-Corps: Computational Synthesis of 3D Printed Composite Lattice Structures

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种集成软件，用于几何建模、设计优化、仿真和生成复合晶格结构的3D打印输入。利用所提出的软件技术，将设计出更强的零件，复合材料增材制造（AM）零件的分析将实现自动化，各种设计的制造将更加高效。所提出的技术的初步结果表明，它有潜力设计出先进的复合材料结构概念，在相同重量的情况下，比最先进的层压板复合材料要硬一个数量级。集成软件将推动3D打印纤维增强聚合物在各个领域的广泛应用，如医疗、航空航天、汽车和能源领域，这些领域可以从高性能复合材料中受益。优化后的复合增材制造可用于各种应用，其中一些是模具，成型，主要和次要承重结构，以及高速率，大批量制造。通过解决关键的设计和分析问题，集成软件技术将有助于复合AM从目前的15亿美元增长到2028年预测的90亿美元。这个I-Corps项目是基于多尺度设计优化的发展，利用数值均匀化获得的晶格的有效性质。由于空间谐波的使用，具有不同程度各向异性的各种类型的网格的构建、基于均匀化的优化和投影成为可能。已发表的实验验证结果表明，优化后的增材制造（AM）复合材料结构比现有的复合材料结构刚度提高100%，强度提高50%。本项目包括以下新特点：1)3D打印复合材料层压板结合连续纤维路径和铺层布局设计优化；2)构建连贯的保形取向，建立互联的微观结构；3)在设计过程中考虑印刷纤维和印刷分辨率的限制。具有任意纤维模式的复合材料晶格结构很难建模，因为纤维角度因元素而异。因此，开发了提出的自动化建模框架，以创建3D打印纤维聚合物，并与有限元分析接口，以执行并返回重量，位移，应力和局部故障。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of an integrated software for geometrical modeling, design optimization, simulation, and the generation of 3D printing input for composite lattice structures. Using the proposed software technology stronger parts will be designed, the analysis of composite additively manufactured (AM) parts will be automated, and the fabrication of various designs will be more efficient. The preliminary results of the proposed technology suggest that it has the potential to design advanced composite structural concepts that are an order of magnitude stiffer than the state-of-the-art laminate composites with the same weight. The integrated software will prompt the ubiquitous adoption of the 3D printing of fiber reinforced polymers in various sectors, such as the medical, aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors, which can benefit from the high-performance composites. The optimized composite AM may be utilized for a variety of applications, some of which are tooling, molding, primary and secondary load-bearing structures, and high-rate, large-volume manufacturing. By addressing the critical design and analysis issues, the integrated software technology will contribute to the growth of composite AM from the current level of 1.5 billion USD to the predicted 9 billion USD in 2028.This I-Corps project is based on the development of multiscale design optimization by utilizing the effective properties of lattices obtained by numerical homogenization. Due to the use of spatial harmonics, the construction, homogenization-based optimization, and projection of various types of lattices with different degrees of anisotropy are possible. The published experimentally validated results of proposed framework demonstrated that the optimized additively manufactured (AM) composite designs are 100% stiffer and 50% stronger than current composite structures. This project includes the following new features: 1) combined continuous fiber paths and ply layout design optimization in 3D printed composite laminates; 2) constructing a coherent shape-preserving orientation to establish an interconnected microstructure; and 3) incorporating printed fiber and printing resolution constraints in the design process. Composites lattice structures with arbitrary fiber patterns can be difficult to model because the fiber angle varies from element to element. Thus, the proposed automated modeling framework is developed to create a 3D printed fiber polymer and interfaces with finite element analysis to perform and return the weight, displacements, stresses, and local failures.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.