Pseudo-bistable self-actuated domes for morphing applications

We present a new concept of morphing bistable structure which relies on viscoelastic effects. We show how a careful choice of geometrical and material parameters for an isotropic spherical dome can result in a pseudo-bistable structure which, once actuated, can return to its original state without further actuation. A numerical model is used to investigate the effect of various parameters on the nature of the pseudo-bistability, and a global geometrical parameter is found to govern the characteristic response of the structure. Experimental results demonstrate this phenomenon in a real dome.     

Buckling of composite panels subjected to biaxial loading

Buckling loads and modes of flat composite laminates were measured and compared with theory. Laminates were subjected to simply supported boundary conditions and biaxial loading. Displacements were measured both mechanically using dial gages and optically using shadow moiré. Predictions were obtained numerically using the Galerkin method. Buckling loads were measured during 49 tests. Overall, measurements confirmed expected trends. Buckling loads increased with an increase in transverse tensile loading as predicted. Measured buckling modes were also well predicted, including an observed increase in mode number with an increase in transverse tensile loading. Measured buckling loads were not as well predicted, and substantial error was encountered during individual tests. Discrepancies between measurement and prediction are reported in terms of the percentage error in prediction. The average and standard deviation in percentage error for 49 measurements was 1.6 percent ±15.4 percent. These discrepancies are thought to be due to specimen imperfections, difficulties in simulating truly simply supported boundary conditions and/or nonuniform loading of the composite panels.     

On the thermally induced bistability of composite cylindrical shells for morphing structures

The multistability of composite thin structures has shown potential for morphing applications. The present work combines a Ritz model with path-following algorithms to study bistable cylindrical panels. Polynomial discretisations of the displacements field are used to predict stable shapes’ geometry and other aspects of the nonlinear structural behaviour. In order to improve the inherently poor conditioning properties of Ritz approximations of slender structures, a non-dimensional Shell Lamination Theory with Sanders nonlinear strains is developed and presented. An investigation on the relative importance of different nonlinear strain terms is shown to provide useful insight into the applicability of common assumptions about shell kinematics. In the current approach, we continue numerical solutions in parameter space, that is, we path-follow equilibrium configurations as the control parameter varies, find stable and unstable configurations and identify bifurcations. The numerics is carried out using a set of in-house Matlab® routines for numerical continuation. Results are compared with detailed finite elements analysis throughout the course of the paper.     

Progressive failure analysis of tow-placed, variable-stiffness composite panels

The past developments on tow-placement technology led to the production of machines capable of controlling fibre tows individually and placing them onto the surface of a laminate with curvilinear topology. Due to the variation of properties along their surface, such structures are termed variable-stiffness composite panels.In previous experimental research tow-steered panels have shown increased buckling load capacity as compared with traditional straight-fibre laminates. Also, numerical analyses by the authors showed that first-ply failure occurs at a significant higher load level. The focus of this paper is to extend those analyses into the postbuckling progressive damage behaviour and final structural failure due to accumulation of fibre and matrix damage. A user-developed continuum damage model implemented in the finite element code ABAQUS^® is employed in the simulation of damage initiation and material stiffness degradation.In order to correctly predict the buckling loads of tow-steered panels under compression, it is of crucial importance to take into account the residual thermal stresses resulting from the curing process. Final failure of tow-steered panels in postbuckling is predicted to within 10% difference of the experimental results. Curvilinear-fibre panels have up to 56% higher strength than straight-fibre laminates and damage initiation is also remarkably postponed. Tow-steered designs also show more tolerance to central holes than traditional laminates.     

Prediction of progressive failure in multidirectional composite laminated panels

A mechanism-based progressive failure analyses (PFA) approach is developed for fiber reinforced composite laminates. Each ply of the laminate is modeled as a nonlinear elastic degrading lamina in a state of plane stress according to Schapery theory (ST). In this theory, each lamina degrades as characterized through laboratory scale experiments. In the fiber direction, elastic behavior prevails, however, in the present work, the phenomenon of fiber microbuckling, which is responsible for the sudden degradation of the axial lamina properties under compression, is explicitly accounted for by allowing the fiber rotation at a material point to be a variable in the problem. The latter is motivated by experimental and numerical simulations that show that local fiber rotations in conjunction with a continuously degrading matrix are responsible for the onset of fiber microbuckling leading to kink banding. These features are built into a user defined material subroutine that is implemented through the commercial finite element (FE) software ABAQUS in conjunction with classical lamination theory (CLT) that considers a laminate as a collection of perfectly bonded lamina (Herakovich, C.T., 1998. Mechanics of Fibrous Composites. Wiley, New York). The present model, thus, disbands the notion of a fixed compressive strength, and instead uses the mechanics of the failure process to provide the in situ compression strength of a material point in a lamina, the latter being dictated strongly by the current local stress state, the current state of the lamina transverse material properties and the local fiber rotation. The inputs to the present work are laboratory scale, coupon level test data that provide information on the lamina transverse property degradation (i.e. appropriate, measured, strain–stress relations of the lamina transverse properties), the elastic lamina orthotropic properties, the ultimate tensile strength of the lamina in the fiber direction, the stacking sequence of the laminate and the geometry of the structural panel. The validity of the approach advocated is demonstrated through numerical simulations of the response of two composite structural panels that are loaded to complete failure. A flat, 24-ply unstiffened panel with a cutout subjected to in-plane shear loading, and a double notched 70-ply unstiffened stitched panel subjected to axial compression are selected for study. The predictions of the simulations are compared against experimental data. Good agreement between the present PFA and the experimental data are reported.     

Dynamic near three-to-one internal resonance in composite stiffened panels

Nonlinear dynamic of composite stiffened panels to parametric and three-to-one internal resonances is investigated. The ordinary differential equation of two mode shapes is established by using Galerkin method and the condition of three-to-one internal resonance between the first mode (1,3) and the second mode (3,1) is examined near the principal resonance 2:1 of the first mode. Then, the nonlinear behavior of the two buckling mode shapes is analyzed using a perturbation analysis. We show the existence of jump phenomena for the two modes indicating a complex dynamic of the structure near the three-to-one internal resonance for the HM Graphite/epoxy materials.     

Failure mechanisms in composite panels subjected to underwater impulsive loads

This work examines the performance of composite panels when subjected to underwater impulsive loads. The scaled fluid-structure experimental methodology developed by Espinosa and co-workers was employed. Failure modes, damage mechanisms and their distributions were identified and quantified for composite monolithic and sandwich panels subjected to typical blast loadings. The temporal evolutions of panel deflection and center deflection histories were obtained from shadow Moiré fringes acquired in real time by means of high speed photography. A linear relationship of zero intercept between peak center deflections versus applied impulse per areal mass was obtained for composite monolithic panels. For composite sandwich panels, the relationship between maximum center deflection versus applied impulse per areal mass was found to be approximately bilinear but with a higher slope. Performance improvement of sandwich versus monolithic composite panels was, therefore, established specially at sufficiently high impulses per areal mass (I₀/M¯>170 m s⁻¹). Severe failure was observed in solid panels subjected to impulses per areal mass larger than 300 m s⁻¹. Extensive fiber fracture occurred in the center of the panels, where cracks formed a cross pattern through the plate thickness and delamination was very extensive on the sample edges due to bending effects. Similar levels of damage were observed in sandwich panels but at much higher impulses per areal mass. The experimental work reported in this paper encompasses not only characterization of the dynamic performance of monolithic and sandwich panels but also post-mortem characterization by means of both non-destructive and microscopy techniques. The spatial distribution of delamination and matrix cracking were quantified, as a function of applied impulse, in both monolithic and sandwich panels. The extent of core crushing was also quantified in the case of sandwich panels. The quantified variables represent ideal metrics against which model predictive capabilities can be assessed.     

复合材料加筋板极限压缩承载能力可靠性分析

基于Abaqus软件用户子程序,利用渐进失效分析方法对复合材料加筋板极限压缩承载能力进行预测。算例分析表明,对于加筋板1和2,本文方法给出的极限压缩强度与实验结果的误差分别为2.53%和1.68%。在结构可靠性分析过程中,为提高计算效率,利用屈曲载荷与极限压缩强度之间的关系建立功能函数,只需对极限压缩承载能力进行一次分析。对于加筋板1和2,本文方法相对经典可靠性方法的计算误差分别为-1.04%和-1.01%,计算时间仅为经典可靠性方法的1.18%和1.66%。     

叠层靶板弹击实验及弹道侵彻机理的数值模拟研究

为了提高军盔等防护装备的防弹性能,采用非线性动态显式有限元分析软件ANSYS/LS DYNA5.6.1模拟了几种复合材料防弹靶板的抗弹道侵彻过程,弹头采用标准1.1g模拟弹片。结合v50弹击实验分析了靶板在此类弹击下的破坏机理和吸能方式,对靶板的选材、铺层顺序、层数和制造工艺等提出合理化建议,主要是沿靶板厚向应采用非均匀的三段式结构和工艺。     

Vibration analysis of laminated composite cylindrical panels via a meshfree approach

In this paper, the free vibration of laminated composite cylindrical panels is solved by the meshfree (meshless) approach. The reproducing kernel particle approximation is employed to model the two-dimensional displacement functions. The effects of the particle distribution and the size of the domain of influence, on the convergence behavior, are studied. This study examines in detail the effects of different boundary conditions on the frequency characteristics of the cylindrical panels. The effects of the curvature of the cylindrical panels as well as the lamination scheme, on the frequencies of the panels, are also investigated. The present results are verified by comparison against results available in the open literature, with very good agreement being attained.     

含预置损伤复合材料加筋板的单轴压缩屈曲分析

通过试验和有限元方法分析了单轴压缩下加筋板的失效模式.研究了三种预置损伤位置及四种损伤尺寸的复合材料T型加筋板的线性及非线性屈曲行为,比较了损伤对临界屈曲载荷和最大失效载荷的影响.研究结果表明:损伤位置在桁条间蒙皮时,损伤的尺寸对其临界屈曲载荷和最大失效载荷影响较小;损伤位置在桁条区蒙皮时,加筋板的临界屈曲载荷随损伤尺寸的增加而明显降低,最大降低50%;损伤位置在桁条边凸缘处蒙皮时,加筋板最大失效载荷所受影响随损伤尺寸的增加而明显降低,最大降低25%.从而得到了复合材料加筋板临界屈曲载荷比和最大失效载荷比与损伤位置及尺寸的关系图.     

Thermal effects on adhesively bonded composite repair of cracked aluminum panels

This study introduces the two-dimensional finite element analysis involving three layer technique to investigate the adhesively bonded composite repair of cracked metallic structure under thermo-mechanical loading. The thermal loading involves, in this study, the temperature drop such as seen during the bonding process. Three patch materials having different stiffnesses and coefficients of thermal expansion are investigated to analyze the thermal effects on the damage tolerance of the crack in the repaired structure and of the debond in the adhesive bondline. For the single sided repair, the patch material having the maximum mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion with that of the cracked aluminum plate provides the better damage tolerance capability for both the crack in the panel and the debond in the adhesive. On the other hand, for double sided repair, the patch material having the minimal mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion with that of the cracked plate provides the better damage tolerance capability.     

Low velocity impact modelling in laminate composite panels with discrete interface elements

A model enabling the detection of damages developing during a low velocity/low energy impact test on laminate composite panels has been elaborated. The ply model is composed of interface type elements to describe matrix cracks and volumic finite elements. This mesh device allows to respect the material orthotropy of the ply and accounts for the discontinuity experimentally observed. Afterwards delaminations are described with interfaces similar to the ones observed with matrix cracks and the coupling between these two damages are established. In the first step, simple stress criteria are used to drive these interface type elements in order to assess the relevance of model principle. Nevertheless, the well known problem of mesh sensitivity of these criteria prevents the use of this model for now as a predictive tool but rather as a qualitative tool. An experimental validation is carried out thanks to impact experimental tests performed by Aboissiere (2003) and a very good match has been found. However, this model could predictivelly be used and would allow to foresee an original method to detect delaminations during an experimental test. This modelling has been successfully tested experimentally and compared to a C-Scan ultrasonic investigation.     

Buckling analysis of discretely stiffened composite curved panels under compression and shear

An analytical method for the buckling discretely thin-wall stiffened composite curved panels under compression and shear is presented by use of finite strip-element method.In the report a simplified scheme for complex displacement functions is developed. It enables that computation to be performed in real number algebra easily. And a simple and easy way to satisify the boundary conditions is introduced.Numerical results are given and are in good agreement with available data.     

Power transmission through double-walled laminated composite panels considering porous layer-air gap insulation

The acoustic behavior of double-walled laminated composite panels consisting of two porous and air gap middle layers is studied within the classical laminated plate theory （CLPT）. Thus, viscous and inertia coupling in a dynamic equation, as well as stress transfer, thermal and elastic coupling of porous material ave based on the Biot theory. In addition, the wave equations are extracted according to the vibration equation of composite layers. The transmission loss （TL） of the structure is then calculated by solving these equations simultaneously. Statistical energy analysis （SEA） is developed to divide the structure into specific subsystems, and power transmission is extracted with balancing power flow equations of the subsystems. Comparison between the present work and the results reported elsewhere shows excellent agreement. The results also indicate that, although favorable enhancement is seen in noise control particularly at high frequencies, the corresponding parameters associated with fluid phase and solid phase of the porous layer are important on TL according to the boundary condition interfaces. Finally, the influence of composite material and stacking sequence on power transmission is discussed.     

Boundary-layer hygrothermal stresses in laminated, composite, circular, cylindrical shell panels

Free-edge effects in laminated, circular, cylindrical shell panels subjected to hygrothermal loading are studied by utilizing displacement-based technical theories. Starting from the most general displacement field of elasticity for long, circular, cylindrical shells, appropriate reduced displacement fields are determined for laminated composite shell panels with cross-ply and antisymmetric angle-ply layups. An equivalent single-layer shell theory is used to analytically determine the constant parameters appearing in the reduced displacement fields. A layerwise shell theory is then employed to analytically determine the local displacement functions and the boundary-layer interlaminar stresses in cross-ply and antisymmetric angle-ply shell panels under hygroscopic and/or thermal changes. Several numerical examples for the distributions of transverse shear and normal stresses in various shell panels under a uniform temperature change are presented and discussed.     

Structural optimization and experimental analysis of composite material panels for naval use

The purpose of the work is the realization of a composite material with long glass fibers having better characteristic than a fiber random composite, to permit the reduction of weight and costs to shipyards for pleasure craft. Structural optimization is performed by ANSYS for the choice of the layers disposition to obtain the maximum stiffness with minimum material employment, saving weight. The study is centered on the research of the better configurations of plies packing in relation of pure shear stress for four different plies. Unidirectional plies, both symmetric orthotropic and symmetric non-orthotropic ones, are realized successively by the vacuum bag technique. Experimental tests of traction, bending, inter laminar shear and pure shear are executed to characterize the three different type of material. Experimental results are compared to ones obtained numerically to validate the procedures; the comparison with the analytical results permitted to attribute an adequate value to shape factor of the fibers. In all the cases the optimization permitted the construction of much more resistant plies than random ones, with a lower thickness.