Property Predictor for the Simulation of Cable Bundles

• Applicant: Professor Dr.-Ing. Stefan Diebels
• Subject Area: Mechanics
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 460295996

The aim of this project is to predict the effective elastic properties of cable systems for assembly simulation, taking into account non-linear effects and the coupling between the load cases bending and torsion. The term cable system is used in this project as a collective term for single cables, cable bundles and cable harness segments. In this context, single cables and cable bundles represent different hierarchical levels of a cable harness segment as well as independent cable systems, since single cables are already composed of a multitude of different components (wires, shielding, sheathing, etc.). The composition of these cable systems is determined by the required functions and cable properties. It also has a significant influence on the mechanical properties of the cable system, which are of non-negligible importance in the geometric design of moving cable systems and decisively determine the service life in the application. Cables and cable systems with a total length of up to 2 km are typically installed in a vehicle. Depending on the type of vehicle and its equipment, up to 900 cable types with different functions and structures are installed. Due to the increasing digitalisation in cars, these numbers are constantly growing.The variety of applications results in a multitude of possible combinations of cable types in a cable system and thus the mechanical properties of the system vary. Measuring the mechanical properties of each cable system is technically possible, but costly and time-consuming. In addition, prototypes of the cable systems are usually not available for measurement in early development phases. A more efficient method to determine the mechanical properties of a cable system is the experimental measurement of the mechanical properties of the cables and the data-based prediction of the system properties.The aim of the project is to extend IPS Cable Simulation for the simulation of nonlinear elastic spatial deformation behaviour of cable systems considering the coupling of torsional and bending deformations. For this purpose, the knowledge acquired in the DFG predecessor project is enhanced by the results of Fraunhofer MAVO UrWerk and further developed for use in the simulation and layout optimisation of cable harnesses in production. The software prototype aimed at in this project, which will be called ProP4CableSim in the following, will contain a hybrid property model (constitutive model with databased components), which enables the simulation of non-linear behaviour of cable systems under large spatial deformations with coupling effects. This will expand the applicability of IPS Cable Simulation to a variety of new application scenarios.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants (Transfer Project)
• Application Partner: fleXstructures GmbH
• Cooperation Partner: Dr.-Ing. Joachim Linn