Thesis in the field of vibration simulation of fiber-reinforced plastics - NVH Powertrain from October 2024

The use of fiber-reinforced polymer materials in technical automotive applications is becoming increasingly important in times of rising acoustic, thermal and mechanical component requirements. Thanks to highly productive manufacturing processes, high damping capacity and low thermal conductivity, these materials are ideal for replacing existing metal applications with innovative development solutions.

Ever shorter development times for new vehicle concepts increasingly require a shift to earlier development phases of computational design to reduce long component and complete vehicle tests. This makes the use of simulation tools based on the finite element method (FEM) for calculating component behavior under real operating conditions all the more important. Plastics are generally reinforced by the use of fibers, so that the material-specific anisotropy must be taken into account to describe the deformation and stress behavior. In addition, they exhibit pronounced viscoelastic behavior, a dependence on the deformation rate and amplitude as well as the ambient conditions, such as temperature and relative humidity.

The aim of the work is to develop a material model for modeling the viscoelastic material properties of short-fiber-reinforced plastics. The main focus is on the integration and reduction of the fiber orientation in the model with the help of a user material (UMAT). The aim of the work is therefore a comprehensive investigation with regard to the representation of the fiber orientation and the influence on the prediction quality of the model. This is followed by the validation of the developed model for vibration simulation at specimen and component level.

You will face these challenges:

• Literature research on the state of the art with regard to modeling the viscoelastic material behavior of short-fiber-reinforced plastics using FEM software and UMATs as well as with regard to mapping fiber orientation in the simulation

• Understanding the material model, the current state of development as well as the boundary conditions and the significance within the simulation

• Development and integration of various options for mapping and reducing fiber orientation information

• Extensive validation of the material model using simulations of the viscoelastic material behavior of various materials and boundary conditions

The final topic is determined in consultation with the university, you and us.

• Degree program: SimTech, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, materials science or a comparable degree program

• IT skills: MS-Office, previous knowledge of FEM software such as Abaqus or similar as well as programming languages such as Python, Matlab, FORTRAN or similar are desirable

• Personal skills: Independent, team-oriented and communicative way of working

• Other: Knowledge and experience in dealing with user materials (UMAT) is an advantage

Additional information:

Of course, we cannot do without formalities. Please apply online only and enclose a CV, current certificate of enrollment stating the semester of study, current transcript of records, relevant certificates (max. total size of attachments 5 MB) and mark your application documents as "relevant for this application" in the online form.

Further information on the recruitment criteria can be found"here".

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