Cryogenic mechanical response of multilayer satin weave CFRP composites with cracks

We deal with the thermomechanical response of multilayer satin weave carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminates with internal and/or edge cracks and temperature-dependent material properties subjected to tensile loading at cryogenic temperatures. The composite material is assumed to be under the generalized plane strain. Cracks are located in the transverse fiber bundles and extend to the interfaces between two fiber bundles. A finite-element model is employed to study the influence of residual thermal stresses on the mechanical behavior of multilayer CFRP woven laminates with cracks. Numerical calculations are carried out, and Young’s modulus and stress distributions near the crack tip are shown graphically. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 479–492, July–August, 2008.     

Analysis of the free-edge effect in composite laminates by the boundary finite element method

Because of the risk of delamination due to high interlaminar stresses in the vicinity of free edges of composite laminates, there is a strong interest in efficient methods for the analysis of this free-edge effect. By the example of a symmetric [0°/90°]_s cross-ply laminate, the Boundary Finite Element Method is presented as a very efficient numerical method, which combines the advantages of the finite element method and the boundary element method. Analogously to the boundary element method, only the boundary is discretized, while the element formulation is finite element based. The resultant stress field is shown to be in very good agreement qualitatively and quantitatively with the comparative finite element analysis. Submitted to the 11th International Conference on Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, June 11–15, 2000). Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 36, No. 3, pp. 355–366, March–April, 2000.     

Interlaminar fracture of multidirectional glass/epoxy laminates under mixed-mode I + II loading

The mixed-mode I + II interlaminar fracture of multidirectional glass/epoxy laminates is investigated. Mixed-mode bending (MMB) tests were performed on specimens with delaminations in 0/θ-type interfaces, with θ varying from 0 to 90°. Preliminary three-dimensional finite-element analyses validated the beam theory model (BTM) used for analysing experimental data. The compliances measured are in a good agreement with BTM predictions. The total critical energy release rate G_c varies linearly with the mode II ratio G_II/G, although some discrepancies are observed in the high-mode II results for the 0/45 and 0/90 specimens. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 3, pp. 349–366, May–June, 2007.     

On the free‐edge effect in piezoelectric laminated plates

The present paper considers the effect of electromechanical coupling on the interlaminar stresses and the electric field strengths at free edges of laminated plates with piezoelectric material properties. The results of coupled and uncoupled piezoelectric analyses performed by use of the finite element method are compared. Exemplarily, a symmetric cross‐ply and a symmetric angle‐ply laminate are investigated under uniaxial tension and without any electrical loading. It is shown that the interlaminar stresses at the free edge are significantly higher in the coupled case for the symmetric cross‐ply laminate, whereas the coupling effect for the symmetric angle‐ply laminate is of minor significance. In addition, the occurrence of electric field strengths with singular character is revealed. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Free-edge stress analysis of general composite laminates under extension, torsion and bending

In this study, based on the reduced form of elasticity displacement field for a long laminate, an analytical method is established to exactly obtain the interlaminar stresses near the free edges of generally laminated composite plates subjects to extension, torsion, and bending. The constant parameters being in the displacement field, which describe the global deformation of a laminate, are appropriately calculated by using the improved first-order shear deformation theory. Reddy’s layerwise theory is subsequently employed for analytical and numerical examinations of the boundary layer stresses within arbitrary laminated composite plates. Various numerical results are developed for the interlaminar normal and shear stresses along the interfaces and through the thickness of laminates near the free edges. Finally the effects of end conditions of laminates and geometric parameters on the boundary-layer stress are studied.     

复合材料对称层合板单向拉伸与面内剪切下的三维应力分析

本文给出了单向拉伸与面向剪切载荷下复合材料对称层合板中心区域的应力和应变沿板厚的数值计算分布规律。计算结果表明，在斜交对称辅层的层合板中心区域层间界面附近存在着层间边界层效应。层间界面处纤维走向的突变导致局部的三维应力状态和很强的应力集中。     

Buckling stability of multilayer plates and shells with interfacial structural defects under axial compression

Based on the discrete-structural theory of thin plates and shells, a variant of the equations of buckling stability, containing a parameter of critical loading, is put forward for the thin-walled elements of a layered structure with a weakened interfacial contact. It is assumed that the transverse shear and compression stresses are equal on the interfaces. Elastic slippage is allowed over the interfaces between adjacent layers. The stability equations include the components of geometrically nonlinear moment subcritical buckling conditions for the compressed thin-walled elements. The buckling of two-layer transversely isotropic plates and cylinders under axial compression is investigated numerically and experimentally. It is found that variations in the kinematic and static contact conditions on the interfaces of layered thin-walled structural members greatly affect the magnitude of critical stresses. In solving test problems, a comparative analysis of the results of stability calculations for anisotropic plates and shells is performed with account of both perfect and weakened contacts between adjacent layers. It is found that the model variant suggested adequately reflects the behavior of layered thin-walled structural elements in calculating their buckling stability. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 513–530, July–August, 2007.     

Stress State of Multilayer Thin-Walled Elements with Interfacial Defects of Structure

Based on the discrete-structural theory of thin plates and shells, a calculation model for thin-walled elements consisting of a number of rigid anisotropic layers is put forward. It is assumed that the transverse shear and compression stresses are equal on the interfaces. Elastic slippage is allowed over the interfaces between adjacent layers. The solution to the problem is obtained in a geometrically nonlinear statement with account of the influence of transverse shear and compression strains. The stress-strain state of circular two-layer transversely isotropic plates, both without defects and with a local area of adhesion failure at their center, is investigated numerically and experimentally. It is found that the kinematic and static contact conditions on the interfaces of layered thin-walled structural members greatly affect the magnitude of stresses and strains. With the use of three variants of calculation models, in the cases of perfect and weakened contact conditions between layers, the calculation results for circular plates are compared. It is revealed that the variant suggested in this paper adequately reflects the behavior of layered thin-walled structural elements under large deformations. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 41, No. 6, pp. 761–772, November–December, 2005.     

Dislocation Structure of Grain Boundaries in Single Crystals Deforming in Simple Shear

A model for the formation of grain boundaries in single crystals having a single active slip system for the case of plane strain simple shear is proposed. It is shown that non-convexity of the condensed energy gives rise to the formation of a laminate structure, where sharp interfaces between laminate layers are interpreted as grain boundaries. Based on these results the dislocation structure of the boundaries is determined introducing a transition zone between laminate layers, where smooth functions of displacement and plastic slip connect adjacent layers. (© 2015 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

A refined stress-strain analysis in the load transfer zone of flat specimens of high-strength unidirectional composites in uniaxial tension 2. Finite-element parametric analysis

A detailed finite-element analysis of the stress-strain state in the load transfer zone of uneasily tensioned flat test specimens made of a high-strength unidirectional carbon fiber-epoxy composite is carried out with account of the elastoplastic behavior of a structural polyurethane adhesive. Various schemes of introduction of external loads into the specimens are considered. A numerical finite-element analysis of different configurations of specimen tabs allowed us to put forward a technique for significantly reducing the dangerous concentration of operating stresses. __________ Translated from Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 43–58, January–February, 2007.     

Moisture absorption and mechanical and acoustic responses in shear of a glass fiber fabric/epoxy resin composite

An analysis of the mechanical and acoustic responses of a laminate composed of 12 layers of glass fiber fabric/epoxy resin and conditioned in environments with relative humidities of 0, 60, and 96% RH at 60°C is presented. The first part of the study consists in following the weight gain according to the duration of hygrothermal conditioning, and the second part—in test ing 45°-oriented specimens in uniaxial tension up to failure at constant imposed displacement rates, with registrating the acoustic emission to track the damage process. The influence of moisture content in the material showed up as a significant decrease in its shear modulus, shear stress, and acoustic emission with growing quantity of absorbed water. An exponential function is proposed for describing the relationship between the varying shear modulus and the shear strain. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 5, pp. 595–602, September–October, 2007.     

Free-Edge Stresses around Holes in Laminates by the Boundary Finite-Element Method

In the present paper the boundary finite-element method is presented as a highly efficient technique for the numerical investigation of the free-edge stresses around a circular hole in laminates. In this method, as in the boundary element method, only the boundary needs to be discretized, whereas the element formulation in essence is finite-element based. The surface discretization provides a high numerical efficiency and requires less computation time compared to finite-element analyses. Numerical results for the concentration of interlaminar stresses at holes in composite laminates show a very good agreement with comparative finite-element calculations.     

A comparative study of fiber-matrix interactions by using micromechanical models

The purpose of this study is to describe the interfacial interactions in terms of stress distributions on short fibers in fiber-matrix unit-cell models. The fiber and matrix are subjected to tensile loading. The study consists of three main parts. First, fiber-matrix cell segments are modeled using a 3D finite-element analysis (FEA) with ANSYS. Three different finite-element geometrical unit-cell models are generated in order to simulate the Cox analytical model: a fiber-matrix combination, a single fiber, and a single matrix element. The second part contains the results of 3D FE analyses, which are applied to the Cox formulations by using a computer program developed. In the last part, the analytical solutions for distributions of normal and shear stresses are investigated. Cox 2D linear elasticity solutions, together with finite-element ones, are presented in detail in graphs. The interfacial interactions between the fibers and matrix are also discussed considering the relative changes in the distributions of normal and shear stresses. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 505–520, July–August, 2008.     

An accurate method to predict the stress concentration in composite laminates with a circular hole under tensile loading

The paper presents a theoretical-numerical hybrid method for determining the stresses distribution in composite laminates containing a circular hole and subjected to uniaxial tensile loading. The method is based upon an appropriate corrective function allowing a simple and rapid evaluation of stress distributions in a generic plate of finite width with a hole based on the theoretical stresses distribution in an infinite plate with the same hole geometry and material. In order to verify the accuracy of the method proposed, various numerical and experimental tests have been performed by considering different laminate lay-ups; in particular, the experimental results have shown that a combined use of the method proposed and the well-know point-stress criterion leads to reliable strength predictions for GFRP or CFRP laminates with a circular hole. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 43, No. 4, pp. 531–570, July–August, 2007.     

Elastoplastic stress analysis of thick laminated metal-matrix composite plates by the finite-element method

The elastoplastic stress state of a laminated stainless-steel-fiber-reinforced aluminum-matrix plates, with or without a hole, subjected to a pressure on their top is examined by using the finite-element method. The analysis is carried out for three layouts: (0/90/0/90)_s, (45/-45/45/-45)_s, and (30/60/30/60)_s. The Newton-Raphson method is used to solve the nonlinear problem. The distributions of equivalent stresses and the plastic zones of the plates without a hole and with a hole of various diameters are determined. Russian translation published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 531–544, July–August, 2006.     

On a method of studying the stress state of orthotropic shells and plates weakened by a hole with cracks extending to its edge

On the basis of the Timoshenko kinematic hypothesis for shells we give a formulation of the problem of studying the stress-strain state of orthotropic plates and shells weakened by a combined stress concentrator (a hole with two symmetric cracks extending to its edge). We propose a method of solving such problems on the basis of the finite-element method. To simulate the singularity of the stresses and displacements in a neighborhood of the tip of a crack we apply special finite elements with degenerate faces and nodes displaced by 1/4 the length of an edge. The stress intensity factors are found in terms of the displacements of the nodes of such elements. We give the results of computation of the concentration coefficients and the stress intensity factors for spherical and cylindrical shells loaded by internal pressure and for a cylindrical shell and a plate under the action of a distending load with various concentrators: a circular hole, an isolated crack, and a combined concentrator. Translated fromTeoreticheskaya i Prikladnaya Mekhanika, No. 23, 1992, pp. 48–54.     

Application of a genetic algorithm to optimal lay-up of shells made of composite laminates

The orientation of fiber direction in layers and the number of layers of composites play the major role in determining the strength and stiffness. Thus, the basic design problem is to determine the optimum stacking sequence of the composite laminate. Many methods are available at present for the design optimization of structural systems. However, these methods are based on mathematical programming techniques involving the gradient search and the direct search. These methods assume that the variables are continuous. In this paper, a different search and optimization algorithm, known as a Genetic Algorithm (GA), has been successfully applied to obtain the optimum fiber orientation of multilayered shells, which considers the angle of fiber orientation as a discrete variable. The principle of GA is applied to obtain optimum layers and the orientation of fibers of stiffened shells for both the symmetric and antisymmetric orientations of fibers for dynamic analysis. Shells composed of two to nine layers without stiffeners, with one stiffener, and with two stiffeners for a single as well as different materials are analyzed and the maximum frequency for each population is computed using the FEAST-C software. Submitted to the 11th International Conference on Mechanics of Composite Materials (Riga, June 11–15, 2000). Published in Mekhanika Kompozitnykh Materialov, Vol. 36, No. 2, pp. 271–278, March–April, 2000.     

A multiscale analysis of the mechanical behavior of a thermo-oxidized c/epoxy lamina

The mechanical behavior of carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites having undergone a thermo-oxidation process is studied. The purpose is to perform a multiscale analysis of the consequences of oxidation on the intrinsic mechanical properties of the external composite ply and on the internal mechanical states experienced by the structure under mechanical loads. The effective mechanical properties of oxidized composite plies are determined according to the Eshelby–Kr?ner self-consistent homogenization procedure, depending on evolution of the oxidation process. The results obtained are compared with estimates found by the finite-element method. The macroscopic mechanical states are calculated for a unidirectional composite and laminates. The macroscopic stresses in each ply of the structure are determined by the classical lamination theory and the finite-element method, whereas the local stresses in the carbon fiber and epoxy matrix are calculated by using an analytical stress concentration relation.     

3D stress analysis of generally laminated piezoelectric plates with electromechanical coupling effects

In this paper, the interlaminar stresses of generally laminated piezoelectric (PZT) plates are presented. The electromechanical coupling effect of the piezoelectric plate is considered and the governing equations and boundary conditions are derived using the principle of minimum total potential energy. The solution procedure is a three-dimensional multi-term extended Kantorovich method (3DMTEKM). The objective of this paper is to study coupling influence on the edge effects of piezolaminated plates with finite dimensions and arbitrary lay-ups under uniform axial strain. These results can provide a benchmark for checking the accuracy of the other numerical methods or two-dimensional laminate theories. To verify the accuracy of the 3DMTEKM, special cases such as cross-ply or symmetric laminates are investigated and the results are compared with other analytical solutions available in the literature. Excellent agreement is achieved and then other numerical results are presented for general cases. Numerical examples imply on the singular behavior of interlaminar normal/shear stresses and electric field strength components near the edges of the piezolaminated plates. The coupling influence on the free edge effect with respect to the lay-ups of piezoelectric plate is studied in several examples.     

Interlaminar Stresses at Corners of Laminate Reinforcements

For inplane loaded plates the use of two laminate patches which are attached symmetrically to a base laminate with respect to the out-of-plane direction is a possibility to reinforce a highly stressed region. But corners at the patches' boundaries constitute a source for stress localizations. The expedient knowledge of the local mechanical inplane fields at such corners can be obtained with the boundary finite element method (BFEM). In order to investigate the intrinsically three-dimensional nature of the laminate corner setup the gradients of the inplane fields are readily evaluated since they are provided by the BFEM in a semi-analytical way. The interlaminar stresses inside the plate are retrieved by equilibrium considerations on a ply-by-ply basis. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)