Hybrid local FEM/global LISA modeling of damped guided wave propagation in complex composite structures

This paper presents a new hybrid modeling technique for the efficient simulation of guided wave generation, propagation, and interaction with damage in complex composite structures. A local finite element model is deployed to capture the piezoelectric effects and actuation dynamics of the transmitter, while the global domain wave propagation and interaction with structural complexity (structure features and damage) are solved utilizing a local interaction simulation approach (LISA). This hybrid approach allows the accurate modeling of the local dynamics of the transducers and keeping the LISA formulation in an explicit format, which facilitates its readiness for parallel computing. The global LISA framework was extended through the 3D Kelvin-Voigt viscoelasticity theory to include anisotropic damping effects for composite structures, as an improvement over the existing LISA formulation. The global LISA framework was implemented using the compute unified device architecture running on graphic processing units. A commercial preprocessor is integrated seamlessly with the computational framework for grid generation and material property allocation to handle complex structures. The excitability and damping effects are successfully captured by this hybrid model, with experimental validation using the scanning laser doppler vibrometry. To demonstrate the capability of our hybrid approach for complex structures, guided wave propagation and interaction with a delamination in a composite panel with stiffeners is presented.