An Integrated Homogenization Engine Based on Microgravity Driven Microstructure Generation for Random Unidirectional Composites

Abstract

The continuing expansion of educational online resources has produced a rapid increase in the exposure of students to scientific concepts prior to formal university study - with a wide accessibility of computer science resources. Research conducted by undergraduate students under the guidance of principal investigators provides training for new generations of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) leaders. The work summarized below connects these two trends. Specifically, we describe an integrated application programming interface constructed by a first-year engineering student that produces average stress-strain curves of unidirectional composites with random microstructures under six fundamental unidirectional loadings. The application may be used by researchers and students without extensive knowledge of the underpinning mechanics to investigate the effects of fiber placement randomness, fiber/matrix mechanical properties and elastic-plastic responses of unidirectional composites and their microstructure-property relationships. In particular, we illustrate the extent of scatter in the homogenized stress-strain diagrams due to fiber randomness under different loading directions relatively to the fiber orientations. We discuss an accurate Finite Volume Direct Averaging Micromechanics (FVDAM) method coded in MATLAB embedded in Python environment. One can generate realistic random microstructures and construct the corresponding defining material assignment matrix for input to FVDAM analysis. This is accomplished using a novel gravity driven microstructure generation (GDMG) algorithm which mimics various manufacturing processes.