Tokyo University of Science optimizes the weight of carbon fiber composites to help make lighter cars

In applications such as aerospace engineering and electric vehicles, carbon fibers are popular for their strength and light weight
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In the past, people mostly focused on how to improve the strength of carbon fiber composites (such as fiber-reinforced plastics), only considering the optimization of fiber orientation
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According to foreign media reports, recently, researchers at Tokyo University of Science (Tokyo University of Science) recently adopted a new design method that can optimize the thickness and orientation of fibers at the same time, thereby reducing the weight of reinforced plastics and helping to develop lighter aircraft and car
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(Image credit: Tokyo University of Science)

Carbon fibers are often combined with other materials to form composites, of which carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) is known for its tensile strength, stiffness, and high strength-to-weight ratio
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To increase the strength of CFRP, most research has focused on a technique called "fiber-oriented design," which optimizes fiber orientation to increase strength
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Dr.
Ryosuke Matsuzaki of Tokyo University of Science said: "The fiber orientation method can only optimize the direction, but cannot change the fiber thickness, which is not conducive to fully exploiting the mechanical properties of CFRP
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In this context, Dr.
Matsuzaki and colleagues propose a new design method that simultaneously optimizes fiber orientation and thickness depending on the location in the composite structure
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Compared with the constant thickness linear lamination model, the CFRP weight can be reduced without affecting its strength
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The method is divided into three steps, including preparation, iteration and adjustment process
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In the preliminary stage, an initial analysis by the finite element method (FEM) to determine the number of layers, a qualitative weight assessment by a linear lamination model and a fiber-guided design with a thickness variation model; an iterative process (iterative) based on the principal stress directions Determine the fiber direction, and calculate the thickness iteratively according to the "maximum stress theory"; finally, in the adjustment process, first create a reference "basic fiber bundle" in the area where the strength needs to be improved, and then arrange the fiber bundles on both sides of the reference bundle, Determine the final orientation and thickness to adjust for manufacturability
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With this simultaneous optimization approach, it is possible to reduce material weight by more than 5%, while providing higher load transfer efficiency compared to fiber-guided methods alone
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The researchers hope that in the future, this method will further reduce the weight of traditional CFRP components to "make lighter aircraft and cars, which will help save energy and reduce CO2 emissions
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