Before optimizing the structural design of carbon fiber tubes through simulation, the optimization goals must be clearly defined. The performance requirements of carbon fiber tubes in different application scenarios vary significantly. For example, the aerospace field pursues extreme lightness and high strength, while sports equipment pays more attention to toughness and impact resistance. At the same time, the working environment of carbon fiber tubes, including the influence of factors such as temperature, humidity, and pressure on their performance, must also be considered. Only by clarifying these requirements can we point the direction for subsequent simulation work and ensure that the optimization results meet the actual application scenarios.
At present, there are many software suitable for carbon fiber tube structural design simulation on the market, such as ANSYS, ABAQUS, COMSOL, etc. ANSYS is powerful in structural mechanics analysis and can accurately calculate the stress and strain of carbon fiber tubes under different loads; ABAQUS is good at dealing with complex material nonlinearity and geometric nonlinearity problems, and has advantages in simulating the damage and failure process of carbon fiber tubes; COMSOL performs well in multi-physics field coupling analysis, and can comprehensively consider the influence of mechanical, thermal and other factors on the performance of carbon fiber tubes. According to specific optimization goals and analysis requirements, choosing the most suitable software tool is the basis for ensuring the accuracy and efficiency of simulation.
Carbon fiber tube is a composite material with anisotropic mechanical properties. It is crucial to establish an accurate material model. It is necessary to understand the parameters of carbon fiber such as fiber direction, ply angle, and matrix material properties in detail. The basic data such as elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, and strength of carbon fiber and matrix materials can be obtained through experimental testing, and these parameters can be accurately input into the simulation software. In addition, it is also necessary to consider the performance changes of materials under different environmental conditions, such as the effect of temperature on the thermal expansion coefficient of carbon fiber tube, so as to build a material model that is closer to reality and provide a reliable basis for simulation.
Accurate geometric model is the premise of simulation, and modeling needs to be carried out according to the actual size and shape of carbon fiber tube. In the modeling process, details such as the wall thickness and port shape of carbon fiber tube should be considered to ensure that the model is consistent with the actual structure. The quality of meshing directly affects the accuracy and calculation efficiency of the simulation results. For structures such as carbon fiber tube, adaptive meshing technology can be used to encrypt the mesh in stress concentration areas or key parts to improve the accuracy of the calculation, and appropriately relax the mesh density in other areas, so as to reduce the amount of calculation while ensuring accuracy.
According to the actual working state of the carbon fiber tube, reasonable boundary conditions and load conditions are set. For example, when simulating applications in the aerospace field, the combined effects of multiple complex loads such as aerodynamic loads, inertial loads, and thermal loads need to be considered; in sports equipment application scenarios, impact force, bending force, etc. are mainly considered. At the same time, boundary conditions such as fixed constraints and hinge constraints are accurately set to simulate the support and connection of the carbon fiber tube in actual use. Only by truly restoring the actual working conditions can the simulation results have practical guiding significance.
After completing the above preparations, the analysis and calculation can be performed in the simulation software. After the calculation is completed, the results need to be interpreted in depth, focusing on the stress distribution, strain, displacement deformation and other data of the carbon fiber tube. By analyzing the results, the weak links in the structural design, such as stress concentration areas and parts with excessive deformation, can be found. In addition, the simulation results of different design schemes can be compared to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of each scheme and provide a basis for structural optimization.
Based on the simulation results, the structural design of the carbon fiber tube is optimized and improved, such as adjusting the ply angle and changing the wall thickness distribution. Then, the simulation analysis is repeated to verify the optimization effect, and the expected optimization goal is achieved through multiple iterations. Finally, the optimized design is actually manufactured and tested, and the accuracy of the simulation and the effectiveness of the optimization design are further verified by comparing the experimental data with the simulation results, ensuring that the structural design of the carbon fiber tube meets the actual application requirements.
