Tomographic image analysis of reinforcement distribution in composites using a flexible and material’s specialist-friendly computational environment

• Published in: Materials letters. X Vol. 7; p. 100046
• Main Authors: Birra, Fernando, Encarnação, Magda, Lopes, Adriano, Medeiros, Pedro, Oliveira, Nuno, Preto, Bruno, Quaresma, Paulo, Velhinho, Alexandre
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-09-2020; Elsevier
• Subjects: Computed tomography; Metal-matrix composites; Problem Solving Environment; Computed tomography; Metal-matrix composites; Problem Solving Environment
• ISSN: 2590-1508; 2590-1508
• DOI: 10.1016/j.mlblux.2020.100046

•Dataset size & computing time limit the use of CT materials characterization.•A Problem-Solving Environment (PSE) for composites CT imaging has been developed.•Running on a PC with GPGPUs (General Purpose Graphical Processing Units).•Able to be used by a Materials Scientist, non-specialist in Computer Science.•The PSE is used to determine the spatial distribution of reinforcements in MMCs.
A computational environment - in the following called Problem Solving Environment (PSE) - dedicated to the analysis of tomographic images of composite materials is presented. The PSE current version is centered on reinforcement characterization and its main features are: (i) running on a desktop PC equipped with GPGPUs (General Purpose Graphical Processing Units); (ii) allowing a non-specialist in Computer Science to define visual programs that specify a sequence of processing steps; (iii) execution times compatible with an interactive use, due to the computational processing power of GPUs; (iv) the inclusion of visualization modules and the possibility of steering the computations through parameter changes.