- experiments on real components are not possible or justified, for safety or other reasons, due to their size or complex load conditions,
- parameter studies are to be carried out, such as variation of materials variables or load assumptions,
- there are high requirements of operational safety concurrent with optimal exploitation of the material to its service limits.
Numerical simulations are however only as powerful and accurate, as the models on which they are based. Therefore, competence in the area of modelling of material and component behaviour under external influence is essential for advanced materials research and application. Here, the relationships between micro structure and global technical properties of engineering materials are of particular significance.
The finite element method (FEM) for tension and deformation analyses of complex structures is recognised as a flexible and well established instrument. However, commercially available programmes, e.g.. ABAQUS oder ANSYS , offer only what is respectively considered the state of art in material equations. Therefore, it is necessary in all materials research to continue the development and refinement of material models for the characterisation of deformation and damage.
Aims of the work in the department Simulation of Solids and Structures are:
- quantitative survey of the relationships between the micro structure of materials, the deformation and damage properties at the micro structural level, and the global stability and toughness properties;
- expansion of the capabilities of the state-of-art Finite-Elements-Programme, in order to better describe the thermo-mechanic behaviour of materials, as well as their deformation and damage until failure, under the influence of complex thermo and mechanical loads;
- validation of components assessments and test procedures via numerical simulation of the component behaviour.