Multi-fidelity machine learning based uncertainty quantification of progressive damage in composite laminates through optimal data fusion

Abstract

Recently machine learning (ML) based approaches have gained significant attention in dealing with computationally intensive analyses such as uncertainty quantification of composite laminates. However, high-fidelity ML model construction is computationally demanding for such high-dimensional problems due to the required large amount of high-fidelity training data. We propose to address this issue effectively through multi-fidelity ML based surrogates which can use a training dataset consisting of optimally distributed high- and low-fidelity simulations. For forming multi-fidelity surrogates of progressive damage in composite laminates, we combine low-fidelity finite element analysis data obtained using Matzenmiller damage model with Hasin failure criteria and high-fidelity finite element analysis data obtained using three-dimensional continuum damage mechanics based model with P Linde’s failure criteria. It is shown that there is a significant computational advantage to using the multi-fidelity surrogate approach as compared to conventional single-fidelity surrogates. Such computational advantage through optimal data fusion without compromising accuracy becomes crucial for the subsequent data-driven uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis of composites involving thousands of realizations. Ply orientations come out to be the most sensitive parameters to matrix damage, fibre damage and reaction force in composite laminates. The degree of uncertainty in the output quantities depend on the input-level stochastic variations. For example, a combined stochastic variation of ±10% in material properties and ±10° in ply orientations lead to 1.85%, 16.98% and 11.24% coefficient of variation in the matrix damage, fibre damage and reaction force respectively. In general, the numerical results obtained based on the efficient data-driven approach strongly suggest that source-uncertainty of composites significantly influences the progressive damage evolution and global mechanical behaviour, leading to the realization of the importance of adopting an inclusive analysis framework considering such inevitable random variabilities.