Hypervelocity Impact Simulation using Smoothed-Particle Hydrodynamics

The issue of space debris in Low Earth Orbit is a growing concern that requires comprehensive solutions. This includes preventing further pollution, removing existing debris, and designing resilient spacecraft that can withstand impacts. This thesis focuses on the improvement of spacecraft shielding structures to provide effective protection...

Analysis and optimization of thermoplastic fuselage struts under crashworthiness requirements

The safety of a commercial aircraft is a factor to consider from the early stages of its design to guarantee that this one's structure can protect the occupants inside in a low-speed crash. In an aircraft's primary structure such as a fuselage, where the occupants and cargo should be protected, the design regulations imposed by the EASA have...

Development of a computational thrombus model using finite element software LS-DYNA

An acute ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death and is caused by a thrombus that occludes a cerebral artery. This thrombus reduces the cerebral blood flow and causes irreversible brain tissue damage. Mechanical thrombectomy is a safe and effective technique to remove the thrombus from the cerebral arteries and restore the brain's...

Stress State Dependent Fracture Prediction in Shells

The goal of this thesis is to propose a stress state dependent ductile fracture criterion for shell elements that can be used for crash simulations for example collisions of ships with offshore structures. Fracture has been extensively researched for solid elements for finite element analysis in Bai & Wierzbicki [2009], among others. Shells...

Analytical model to assess bending moments in wind turbine support structures subjected to ship collisions

The number of offshore wind farms is growing rapidly, which increases the likelihood of ship collisions with offshore wind turbines. Additionally, the cost of energy reduction for wind turbines is achieved due to radical design optimizations. Therefore, simple methods should be obtained to determine the offshore wind turbine response during ship...

Tsunami induced failure of bridges: Determining failure modes with the use of SPH-modeling

Recent major tsunami events generated by earthquakes inundated coastal cities and caused extreme destruction and loss of human lives. The collapse of coastal bridges due to tsunami wave impact represents a huge obstacle for rescue works. The need to understand tsunami effects and develop tsunami-resilient bridges became apparent in the aftermath...

Optimization of Composite Structures for Crashworthiness

Structural optimization for crashworthiness in composite structures has become an important topic of research in aerospace, attributable to its proven benefits to the occupants' safety in an aircraft during a crash event. This thesis provides a comprehensive investigation on LS-DYNA modeling and design optimization of composite square tubes for...

Stress-state dependent fracture prediction: An application in numerical analysis of maritime collision

In the past decades the understanding of fracture of ductile material has increased substantially. Research has shown that the onset of fracture highly depends on the full state of stress inside the material. Better understanding of fracture resulted in more advanced and complex fracture models being conceived, allowing researchers to predict...

Full system response Thomassen tunnel under impact load using LS-DYNA (concept version 3)

In the Delft Cluster work package “Bijzondere Belastingen” (CT01.21) the consequences of a BLEVE and a reduced BLEVE are considered. These phenomena have a low probability of occurrence, but might have immense consequences. Therefore, a deterministic consideration seems not possible. The results of the work package must facilitate the...

Bijzondere belastingen in tunnels: Eindrapport

Verkeerstunnels en overkapte wegen (landtunnels) komen de milieukundige en stedenbouwkundige inpassing ten goede en maken meervoudig ruimtegebruik in de stad mogelijk. Het aantal tunnels en overkappingen groeit dan ook. Dit maakt het vervoer van explosiegevaarlijke stoffen en onder hoge druk vervoerde gassen steeds moeilijker, want tankwagens...