Optimization of weight and elastic properties for unidirectional glass fiber reinforced composites

Abstract

Glass fibers reinforcing composites (GFRC) are the most common industrial materials due to their low weight and superior strength. Microstructure modeling provides a practical approach for predicting the behavior of the composite based on the constituent's property. The weight and mechanical properties of composite materials play a significant role in various applications such as aviation, marines, and vehicles industries.  In this study, a microstructure model of (GFRC) is developed for a multi-objective optimization problem involving trade-offs between weight minimizing and material stiffness-enhancing. A finite element model of a representative volume element (RVE) of a material's microstructure is used to predict the elastic properties of the fiber and the matrix composites. Composite properties such as elasticity and density can be obtained directly from the RVE and extrapolated to a larger scale. The representative volume element (RVE) is generated by using commercial software (Abaqus); then, the non-GUI mode is called by Isight Software to solve multi-objective optimization by using Archive based Micro Genetic (AMGA) Algorithm to obtain optimum design of composite RVE.