Software details
Software authors
Carlos Daniel González Martínez, Claudio Faria Lopes, Miguel Herraez
Intellectual Property Rights
Copyright © Fundación IMDEA Materiales and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. All rights reserved
Transfer opportunity
Software license
Reference
M. Herraez et al. “A microstructures generation tool for virtual ply property screening of hybrid composites with high volume fractions of non-circular fibers – VIPER”, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 2020
M. Herraez et al., “Computational micromechanics evaluation of the effect of fibre shape on the transverse strength of unidirectional composites: An approach to virtual materials design”, Composites Part A, 2016.
Software description
VIPER (VIrtual Ply propERty) is a simulation tool developed within the framework of computational micromechanics by IMDEA Materials to expedite the prediction of fiber-reinforced ply behavior from the measured properties and spatial distribution of the different phases and interfaces in the composite. The tool is also able to generate composite microstructures with arbitrary fiber geometries as well as hybrid microstructures hence allowing for in-silico ply property screening, design and optimization.
VIPER is a ready-to-use software package developed using Python which includes a Graphical User Interface. It uses a fiber repelling approach to generate hybrid microstructures with high fiber volume fractions. The tool also includes capabilities to calculate the relevant statistical microstructure descriptors.
The microstructures generated by VIPER need to be exported to Finite Element software packages such as ABAQUS to perform RVE computations and predict composite ply behavior.
VIPER capabilities
Features and license types
VIPER software can be licensed under two different versions, Full and Lite, each of them with different capabilities. Check out the main features of both versions below.
| VIPER | Full version | Lite version |
|---|---|---|
|
Export to Abaqus file to generate a FE model (2D or 3D) |
✓ |
☓ |
|
Export to text file |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Circular fibers |
✓ |
✓ |
|
Polygonal fibers |
✓ |
☓ |
|
Lobular fibers |
✓ |
☓ |
|
Elliptical fibers |
✓ |
☓ |
|
Smoothed polygons |
✓ |
☓ |
|
Oval fibers |
✓ |
☓ |
|
C-shaped fibers |
✓ |
☓ |
|
Rectangular fibers |
✓ |
☓ |
| Type of license | Duration | Price (€) | Support |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lite version for academic purposes |
1 year extended automatically unless otherwise agreed |
Free |
No |
|
Full version (academic institutions) |
1 year |
1.500 |
6 hours/year included |
|
Full version (industry) |
1 year |
3.000 |
6 hours/year included |
Relevant publications
[1] A microstructures generation tool for virtual ply property screening of hybrid composites with high volume fractions of non-circular fibers – VIPER.
M. Herráez, J. Segurado, C. González, C.S. Lopes
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing
Volume 129, February 2020, 105691. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2019.105691
[2] Computational micromechanics evaluation of the effect of fibre shape on the transverse strength of unidirectional composites: An approach to virtual materials design.
M. Herráez, C. González, C.S. Lopes, R. Guzmán de Villoria, J. LLorca, T. Varela, J. Sánchez
Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, Volume 91, 2016, 484-492. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2016.02.026
Contact
Knowledge & Technology Transfer Department, IMDEA Materials Institute
email: techtransfer.materials@imdea.org
telephone: +34 91 5493422
