Parametric failure limit detection for the sheet metal forming of a floating photovoltaic (FPV) aluminum alloy structure

The sheet metal forming process of a floating photovoltaic (FPV) structure is simulated in LS-DYNA. An anisotropic yield criterion and a two-term Voce hardening law are used to model the plastic behavior of AA5083-H111 sheets. The numerical model incorporates thickness variations to trigger local necking and uses a critical thickness strain as a fracture criterion. To establish a methodology that can be expanded for further studies, the research explores the relationship between cup depth and drawbead distance by proposing an algorithm to distinguish between successful and unsuccessful sheet metal forming operations.