Function-Oriented Material Design for Next-Generation Ground Vehicles

Abstract

A systematic approach, referred to as function-oriented material design (FOMD), is presented in this paper, which can be used to design materials for the specific tasks demanded of structures in future ground vehicle systems. In order to carry out the FOMD process, first the functions of a structure in the vehicle system need to be explicitly defined in a systematic way. Then these functions must be quantified, so as to define the objective and constraint functions in the optimization process. Finally, an advanced optimization process needs to be carried out, and the material layout has to be finalized by the design engineer. Typically a number of constraints, such as manufacturing and cost constraints, need to be considered in the optimal material design process. A major objective of this research is to outline these constraints, as well as to find ways to ameliorate the optimization process to produce improved, cost-effective, and manufacturable engineered materials.