Nondeterministic Parameter Space Characterization of the Damage Tolerance of a Composite/Metal Structure

An integrated experimental, computational, and non-deterministic approach is demonstrated to predict the damage tolerance of an aluminum plate reinforced with a co-cured bonded quasi-isotropic E-glass/epoxy composite overlay and to determine the most sensitive material parameters and their ranges of influence on the damage tolerance of the hybrid system. To simulate the complex progressive damage in the repaired structure, a high fidelity three-dimensional finite element model is developed and validated using four-point bend testing to investigate potential damage mechanisms. A surrogate model is then generated to explore the complex parameter space of this model. Global sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification are performed for non-deterministic analysis to characterize the energy absorption capability of the patched structure relative to these influential design properties. Additionally, correlating the data quality of the material parameters with the sensitivity analysis results provides practical guidelines for model improvement and the design optimization of the patched structure.