An Efficient High-fidelity Design Tool for Advanced Tailorable Composites

To harness the potential of advanced tailorable composites for lightweighting aerospace structures with enhanced performance, AnalySwift proposes to develop an efficient high-fidelity Design tool for Advanced Tailorable Composites (DATC). Building upon our accomplishments in Phase I, DATC will be developed based on the efficient high-fidelity constitutive modeling capability of mechanics of structure genome (MSG) and its companion code SwiftComp, the versatile structural analysis capabilities of two finite element analysis (FEA) packages Abaqus and MSC.Patran/Nastran, the general-purpose optimizer Dakota, and the state-of-the-art machine learning (ML) package TensorFlow. DATC will integrate all these tools into a unified and intuitive design framework, facilitating design setups and enabling innovative designs of structures made of tow-steered composites. MSG computes the location-dependent shell properties for FEA and Dakota performs optimization for varying fiber orientations, ply coverages (varying ply thickness and ply drops), and different materials with manufacturing constraints. ML provides ultra-efficient surrogate models to accelerate the optimization from days to hours. The associated computer codes are developed with an open architecture to allow users to add new functionalities for specific problems. Several realistic aerospace structures will be employed to verify the validate the developed tool and demonstrate the benefits from tailorable composites in reducing the structural weights and/or improving the load-bearing capacity. We expect to release DATC by the end of the Phase II as a user-friendly graphic user interface (GUI) plug-in for MSC.Patran/Nastran and Abaqus so that engineers familiar with these two FEA codes can easily use DATC to carry out analysis, parametric studies, and design optimizations of highly tailorable composite structures. There are no existing commercial design tools to fully harness the advantages NASA seeks in advanced tailorable composites. AnalySwift is developing an efficient high-fidelity Design tool for Advanced Tailorable Composites (DATC) with the following features: Mechanics of structure genome-based models (a) capable of accurate prediction of composites stiffness and strength and (b) fully compatible with structural elements in standard commercial FEA packages. A versatile parameterization method with (a) easy expansion of the design space, (b) varying fiber orientations, ply coverages, multiple materials, and manufacturing constraints; (c) general-purpose optimizers for highly tailorable designs with optimized load paths. An integrated framework with (a) user-friendly GUI plug-ins, (b) Nastran and Abaqus’s versatile capabilities; (c) interoperable with other engineering codes. A machine learning (ML) module capable of (a) training ML models from the GUI plug-ins without expert ML knowledge and (b) significantly reducing computing time while maintaining accuracy of high-fidelity models. Objectives:  Mature the constitutive models and SwiftComp code and extend for advanced tailorable composites featuring 2D or 3D heterogeneities. Upgrade the design framework with new functionalities for more general and realistic design requirements. Upgrade and mature the GUI plug-ins. Optimize the plug-in scripts so that advanced users can easily understand them and make changes. Meet challenges of prohibitive computing time for optimization of real structures using ML-based surrogate models. Reduce the computing time to 5% and maintain at least 90% accuracy of the high-fidelity, physics-based simulations. Verify and validate DATC using realistic structures including a pressurized cylinder, a cylinder with cutouts, and a SLS component (payload attach fitting). Demonstrate advantages of advanced tailorable composites over UDFRCs and metal materials in saving weight and improving load-bearing capacity. Deliverables:  Fully functional DATC (including GUI plug-ins for Abaqus & MSC.Patran/Nastran). Monthly progress presentations, interim, final reports. Report on verification and validation of DATC documenting the details of the proposed 3 aerospace structures for testing DATC.   All data of the 3 testing examples (input files, output files, results). Detailed users’ manual and a series of tutorial videos to shorten the learning curve and help users quickly learn how to use DATC.

Lightweight structures for satellite buses, landers, rovers and other exploration vehicles, solar arrays, and antennas. Cryogenic tanks, pressurized habitats, other primary space structure components, including dry & unpressurized, such as lander truss cages, landing gears. Next-generation airframe tech (hybrid/blended wing body); highly flexible wings. Highly fatigue and damage tolerant structures for revolutionary vertical lift aircraft. High performance, lightweight commercial space/aerospace structures and components (with improved predictive capabilities). Validated design and analysis tools for the realization of tailorable composites in secondary markets (energy/wind, auto, marine, etc.). Improved designs for high-performance tailorable structures (prosthetics, fishing rods, golf clubs, tubes, etc.) with reduced cost & time.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 6) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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