Structural design optimization of composite materials drive shafts

Composite materials drive shafts attract particular interest in recent years. Their high strength, light weight and high fatigue and corrosion resistance make them suitable for high specification mechanical and marine applications. In the context of the present work, advanced finite element models that simulate the static and dynamic mechanical behaviour of composite drive shafts are combined with optimization algorithms in order to determine the optimum lay-up of a composite shaft according to the desired specifications. The composite shaft is also combined with metallic flanges and the performance of the combined system is also investigated. The created models facilitate the structural design optimization of composite material drive shafts and constitute the basis for the future implementation of the simulation driven digital twins of composite materials drivetrain systems.