Simulation of Property Evolution

Problem Statement
The reliability, durability, and safety of engineering components can be described in terms of remaining strength and life (the "damage tolerance" method of certificaton specified by the FAA and other agencies). In composite material systems, remaining strength can be described in terms of local damage processes, stress redistribution, and rate equations which describe time dependent behavior. The system of resulting equations have not been solved in closed form, but simulation methods can be used to predict physical behavior. However, interpreting and understanding the voluminous data produced by such a simulation is a very difficult task.

Visual Insight
By multidimensional displays of the changes in the parameters which are simulated by the model, it is possible to identify the part of the physical process that is "driving" changes in global strength and life. This is of critical importance to the science and technolog of material system design, providing a means of determinig how material design parameters influence microprocesses and global property evolution.