This paper on "How Can Uncertainties in Wall-Thickness or Other Distributed Uncertainties Be Included in FEA?" was presented at the NAFEMS World Congress on The Evolution of Product Simulation From Established Methods to Virtual Testing & Prototyping - 24-28 April 2001, The Grand Hotel, Lake Como, Italy.

Abstract

Composites represent a major portion of the advanced materials technology. These lightweight materials with high strength and stiffness are formed by combining reinforcing fibres in a polymer matrix. The use of composites has grown significantly in aerospace, automotive, construction, electronics, biomedical, marine, and sporting goods industries. For the so-called smart structures are these composites of great importance. From a number of test structures we have investigated it turns out that the thickness of these thin-walled lightweight structures vary remarkable. A natural approach to cope with such uncertainties in model parameters is a statistical one. The first problem here one is faced with is that despite their statistical character most of the parameters are spatially distributed (thickness of plates and shells, material properties etc.) and they possess a kind of correlation to each other. The paper presents a solution for a spatial correlated simulation of parameter distribution owed to the manufacturing process or other causes that is suitable to be included in the FEA.