F. Aymerich¹, M. Serra²

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.13, No.1, pp. 49-66, 2006, DOI:10.3970/cmes.2006.013.049

Abstract The study reported in this paper explores the potential of Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) metaheuristic for stacking sequence optimization of composite laminates. ACO is a recently proposed population-based search approach able to deal with a wide range of optimization problems, especially of a combinatorial nature, and inspired by the natural foraging behavior of ant colonies. ACO search processes, in which the activities of real ants are simulated by means of artificial agents that communicate and cooperate through the modification of the local environment, were implemented in a specifically developed numerical algorithm aimed at the lay-up… More >

Yunfa Zhang¹, Zihui Xia^1,2

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.2, No.3, pp. 213-226, 2005, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2005.002.213

Abstract In the present study, the initiation and evolution of the interphase damage and their influences on the global stress-strain relation of composite laminates are predicted by finite element analysis on a micromechanical unit cell model. A thin layer of interphase elements is introduced and its stress-strain relation is derived based on a cohesive law which describes both normal and tangential separations at the interface between the fiber and matrix. In addition, a viscous term is added to the cohesive law to overcome the convergence difficulty induced by the so-called snap-back instability in the numerical analysis. More >

Kunigal Shivakumar¹, Anil Bhargava²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.1, No.2, pp. 173-190, 2004, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2004.001.173

Abstract The fiber optic sensor (FOS) embedded perpendicular to reinforcing fibers causes an `Eye' shaped defect. The length is about 16 times fiber optic radius (R_Fos) and height is about 2R_Fos. The eye contains fiber optics in the center surrounded by an elongated resin pocket. Embedding FOS causes geometric distortion of the reinforcing fiber over a height equal to 6 to 8 R_Fos. This defect causes severe stress concentration at the root of the resin pocket, the interface (in the composite) between the optical fiber and the composite, and at 90° to load direction in the composite. The… More >

X. Han^1,2,3, G. R. Liu^1,2, G. Y. Li ¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.1, No.1, pp. 39-50, 2004, DOI:10.3970/cmc.2004.001.039

Abstract An efficient hybrid numerical method is presented for investigating transient response of cross-ply laminated axisymmetric cylinders subjected to an impact load. In this hybrid numerical method, the laminated cylinder is divided into layered cylindrical elements in the thickness direction. The Hamilton principle is used to develop governing equations of the structure. The displacement response is determined by employing the Fourier transformations and the modal analysis. Numerical examples for analyzing transient waves have been provided in axisymmetric laminated cylindrical structures, both for thin cylindrical shells and thick cylinders.
A computational inverse technique is also presented for More >