EFFICIENT MULTISCALE RECURSIVE MICROMECHANICS OF COMPOSITES FOR ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS
Evan J. Pineda, Brett A. Bednarcyk, Trenton M. Ricks, Steven M. Arnold, Grant Henson
Abstract
The NASA Multiscale Analysis Tool (NASMAT) software is examined and discussed as a platform for multiscale modeling of composites for engineering applications. NASMAT performs analysis of materials with any arbitrary number of length scales through the use of recursive procedures and data structures and also can function as an effective material model within structural finite element models. The software’s efficiency is studied by varying the size of the structural finite element model and the local micromechanics model, while also varying the number of CPUs used to execute simulations in a high-performance computing environment. The code is then applied to a massively multiscale fractal problem with up to 150 hierarchical length scales. Finally, two practical progressive damage problems are examined involving a 3D woven polymer matrix composite material and a ceramic matrix composite gas turbine engine vane structure with an embedded micromechanics model.