a. Design of variable stiffness composites

    i. Strain Energy Minimization

Design methodology for variable stiffness composites: optimization for compliance using lamination parameters as the variables, conversion of lamination parameters to fiber angles, application of curvature constraints to find manufacturable fiber angle distribution for a simply-supported plate with a pressure load.

    ii. Buckling load maximization

Preliminary results of buckling optimization to find best fiber angles for an axially compressed plate with fixed edges.

   iii. Application to 3D printing of PLA material with chopped carbon fibers (collaboration with Dr. Thomas Cender)

Variable stiffness design of an open hole tension specimen followed by path planning and 3D printing, respectively