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composite laminate with dropped layer

Case description:
you will learn how to model composite for shell-like structures which are built up by layers of fiber oriented plies, a so called composite z
. laminate

Each layer (also referred to as a ply) can have its own physical properties, such as material data, thickness and material/fiber direction. Each z
.layer/ply has a direct correlation to through-thickness integration point in the LS-DYNA shell element

The goal is to create a FE model of this structure.

Figure 1.

The composite layup:

There will be two or three plies in different areas of the structure. Looking at a cut of the symmetry line, the layers
looks like this.

Figure 2.

The top image shows a schematic image of the "physical" layup. It is shown that the mid ply is only present in the
circular area of the part, see Figure 1. The top layer is a physically continous ply. The yellow area will be filled
with resin.

The bottom image shows how we will model the structure with FE.

The red, green and blue areas represent the three plies. Note that even though the top layer is the second layer from
the bottom on the right hand side, it will still be modelled as layer number three in the FE model. This is important
as it will simplify the post-processing knowing that results from integration point number three in the d3plot database
represents a physical layer, in this case the top layer.

The composite material orientation:

The fiber/material directions will be oriented circular around the "hole" for the mid layer, whereas it will follow the
"natural" lines around the "hole" for the top and bottom layer, see Figure 3 below.
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Figure 3.

Files required:
z composite_tutorial.k

Step 1: Load model

z File -> Open -> LS-DYNA Keyword File

z open composite_tutorial.k

Step 2: Create the plies

z go to Element Tools -> Element Editing

z select Composite

The LS-PrePost Composite module operates on only one part at any given time.

z click PID:

z select (pick) the part we will work on in the graphics region

There are three physical layers in the structure, so insert three plies by:

z click three times on the Insert button

The result should look like this:

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Figure 4.

Step 3: Applying material to each ply.

All elements in the top and bottom layers should have a composite material applied.

z select all elements in the part using the ByPart option in general selection

z pick the part to select all elements

z specify the Material ID by clicking on the link button "." next to the Material ID text field

z select material 1 (composite) from the list

z click Done in the "Link MAT" window

z we want to apply this material to ply 1 and 3, so multi-select "ply 1" and "ply 3" in the list. (CTRL-leftclick with the mouse)

z click Apply at the bottom of the Element Editing -> Composite window

We will now apply the same material to the circular area of the structure for ply 2.

z select "ply 2" from the list

z pick Clear in general selection

z select ByElem in general selection

z select the circular area by using the Circ option in general selection

z click Apply to set material number 1 to "ply 2" for these elements

The remaining elements for ply number 2 will be assigned a *MAT_NULL material as no material exists for physical "ply
2" in that area.

z reverse the selection of elements by click Reverse in general selection

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z change "Material ID" to 2 by selecting from the list of material in the same way as before

z click Apply to set material 2 to selected element for ply number 2

Optional step: Verifying that the material has been correctly assigned to all plies.
z Select the Select elements checkbox

z select "ply 1" from the list. All elements should now be highlighted

z select "ply 2" from the list. All elements should now be highlighted and there should be two materials present in the list of materials, "MID 1"
and "MID2"

z select only "MID 1" and verify that only elements with the composite material for "ply 2" are highlighted, the circular area

z select only "MID 2" and see that the remaining elements with MAT_NULL are highlighted

z select "ply 3" from the list. All elements should now be highlighted and "MID 1" is highlighted in the list below

The result should look like this:

Figure 5.

Step 4: Assign thickness

Now we will assign a thickness of 4 to the top and bottom layers and a thickness of 3 to the mid layer.

z click Thickness radio button

z multi-select "ply 1" and "ply 3" from the list of plies

z type in a thickness of 4 in the Thickness: text field

z select all elements by clicking Whole in general selection

z Click Apply
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Now we want to apply a thickness of 3 to the elements in the circular area for ply 2.

z select "ply 2" from the list of plies.

To retrieve the selection of the elements in the circular area for "ply 2", we can use the Material panel.

z click Material radio button

z click Select elements checkbox (if it is not already checked)

z select "MID 1" from the list. (now we have the elements in the circular area selected)

z click on Thickness radio button

z type in 3 in the text field for Thickness:

z click Apply

Optional step: Verifying that the thickness has been correctly assigned to all plies.
z click the Fringe Thickness checkbox

z click and step through "ply 1" to "ply 3" and see that the thickness is correct for each layer

The result should look like this:

Figure 6.

Step 5: Set the reference surface

The choice of reference surface for the composite may vary from case to case but here we assume the tooling surface was
used as the reference surface when meshing the model. That is, the nodes are located at the bottom of the first ply. So
we want to offset the elements such that we get a flat lower surface

z click Offset radio button

z click Flat lower (if it is not already selected)

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z select all elements using the general selection

z click Apply

Optional step: Verifying that the offset has been correctly applied
z click Thickness radio button

z click the Thick display checkbox on and off and verify that the reference surface is at the bottommost surface.

The result should look like this:

Figure 7.

z turn the Thick Display off to prepare for the next step

Step 6: Applying fiber directions

We will use the option to apply fiber directions from curves so we start by creating a few curves.

z click Curve in the main right toolbar

z click BSpline Curve

z deselect the Piecewise checkbox

z click some nodes around the "hole" from top to bottom, see Figure 8

Figure 8.

z click Apply

z create a curve on the upper edge in the same way from left to right, see figure 9
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Figure 9.

z create a curve on the lower edge in the same way from left to right

z go back to Element Tools -> Element Editing -> Composite

z click the Direction radio button

z click Map

We will map the directions using the Curves option.

z click the Pick option and select the curve in the circular "hole"

z Click the Apply button in the Map -> Curves box. This creates a discrete vector field which will be used for setting the fiber direction for the
circular area

Create the second vector field from the two remaining curves.

z click the Pick checkbox

z select the two curves at the top and at the bottom edges

z click Apply

Map the directions for the circular area by using vector map 1.

z select the elements for the circular area by going to the Material radio button and use the Select elements option for "ply 2"

z go back to the Direction -> Map panel

z select "ply 2"

z select vector map 1

z click Apply

The directions for the elements in the circular area is now set.

Map the directions for "ply 1" and "ply 2" using vector map 2:

z multi-select "ply1" and "ply 2"

z select vector map 2

z select all element by clicking Whole in general selection

z click Apply

The direction from the closest vector is used when the direction for each element is set. The directions can optionally
be smoothed out so that no abrupt changes occur between two neighbouring elements (as it now is at the symmetry line
for ply 1 and 3. We will smooth the orientations in this area by using to the Smooth function.
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z click the Smooth radio button

z select ply 1 and 3 in the list of plies

z select all elements (if they are not already selected)

z click Apply and watch the direction to be smoothed out near the symmetry line

z click Accept

Optional step: Verifying that the directions for all plies have been correctly applied
z click through the three plies and inspect the material direction arrows.

The result for ply 1 and 3 should look the top image below and ply 2 as the bottom image.

Figure 10.
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Step 7: Save the model

z File -> Save Keyword

z enter Filename: laminate.k

z click Save