Variable-thickness design of CFRP B-pillar reinforcement considering draping

An integrated optimization method that comprehensively considers draping factors such as fiber reorientations and cutting of layers is proposed for designing CFRP B-pillar reinforcement with a variable thickness. A laminate parameterization scheme, the local shared layer parameterization scheme (LSL-PS), is developed to parameterize the physical composition of laminates with variable-thickness. Kinematic draping simulations and preform designs are introduced to evaluate fiber reorientations and eliminate manufacturing defects. The optimization design of the B-pillar reinforcement is integrated with a LSL-PS, draping-simulation and preform-design, a RBF surrogate model and GA. At the same time, a comparative optimization without the consideration of draping factors is performed in parallel. The comparison results show that considering draping not only helps designers eliminate manufacturing defects but also helps to obtain a further weight reduction of 13.33% because fiber reorientations are fully utilized to improve the structural performance.