Simple finite element modeling of planar composite structures using digital image processing technique in Matlab

In this article, a new method for finite element modeling of planar multi-material structures, using only an input image, has been presented. This method which is implemented in a Matlab program is based on digital image processing technique. After importing a digital image by the user, the program automatically converts it into a binary format. The inner part and the boundary of the desired structure in the input image are recognized based on the difference between the colors of their pixels. These two regions are meshed separately by connecting their pixels to each other. The output of the program is a file in INP format which includes the coordinates of the nodes of the finite element model, their connections and the material of each part which has been defined by the user during the modeling process. The obtained results indicate the high accuracy of the method in the modeling of planar composite structures with complicated geometries in a very short time. Further, the results from the numerical analysis of the output model are in a good qualitative and quantitative agreement with the previous experimental data. The presented method in this article provides a strong background for future realistic modeling of planar composite structures.