Abstract Hybrid-Trefftz finite elements have been applied to the analysis of several types of structures successfully. It is based on two different sets of approximations applied simultaneously: stresses in the domain and displacements on its boundary. This method presents very large linear systems of equations to be solved. To overcome this issue, most authors have been careful in the choice of the approximation fields in order to have highly sparse linear systems. The natural choice for the stress basis has been linearly independent, hierarchical and orthogonal polynomials which typically result in more than 90% of sparsity in 3-D finite elements. Functions derived from associated Legendre and Chebyshev orthogonal polynomials have been used with success for this purpose. In this work the non-orthogonal polynomials available in the Pascal pyramid are proposed to derive a harmonic and complete set of polynomial basis as an alternative to the above-cited functions. Numerical tests show this basis produces accurate results. No significant differences were found when comparing the sparsity of the linear system of equations for both functions.

Abstract Aerospace vehicles are mostly exposed to random vibration loads during its operational lifetime. These harsh conditions excites vibration responses in the vehicles printed circuit boards, what can cause failure on mission functionality due to fatigue damage of electronic components. A novel analytical model to evaluate the useful life of embedded electronic components (capacitors, chips, oscillators etc.) mounted on Printed Circuit Boards (PCB) is presented. The fatigue damage predictions are calculated by the relative displacement between the PCB and the component, the lead stiffness, as well the natural vibration modes of the PCB and the component itself. Statistical methods are used for fatigue cycle counting. The model is applied to experimental fatigue tests of PCBs available on literature. The analytical results are of the same magnitude order of the experimental findings.

Abstract Hybrid quasi-Trefftz finite elements have been applied with success to the analysis of laminated plates. Two independent fields are approximated by linearly independent, hierarchical polynomials: the stress basis in the domain, adapted from Papkovitch-Neuber solution of Navier equations, and the displacement basis, defined on element surface. The stress field that satisfies the Trefftz constraint a priori for isotropic material is adapted for orthotropic materials, which leads to the term "quasi". In this work, the hexahedral hybrid quasi-Trefftz stress element is applied to the modeling of nonsymmetric laminates and laminated composite plates with geometric discontinuities. The hierarchical p-refinement is exploited.

This work presents a new metamodel for reinforced panels under compressive loads, typically used in light-weight aircraft structures. The metamodel represents a replicable cell structure of integrally machined panels. The presented formulation for conception is based on the synthesis of four stability criteria: section crippling, web buckling, flange buckling and column collapse. The aluminum alloy, a typical choice in modern aircraft industry, is selected and the structure is expected to work in the linear elastic domain. In order to evaluate the accuracy and to validate the analytical tool, the procedure is applied in the pre-sizing of the fuselage basic structural components of a 9-passenger executive aircraft. The pull-up maneuver, one of the critical load conditions in most of aircrafts, causes the maximum compressive stresses in lower fuselage panels. Finite element models are presented to the resulting fuselage configuration. The optimal configuration achieved through the application of the analytical tool yields to an innovative structure from those usually adopted in the aeronautical industry. This structural configuration is presented and discussed. The developed metamodel proved to be effective, presenting satisfactory results with adequate accuracy for the initial stages of light-weight aircraft structure.

Abstract Finite element models are proposed to the micromechanical analysis of a representative volume of composite materials. A detailed description of the meshes, boundary conditions, and loadings are presented. An illustrative application is given to evaluate stress amplification factors within a representative volume of the unidirectional carbon fiber composite plate. The results are discussed and compared to the numerical findings.