Stochastic critical stress intensity factor response of single edge notched laminated composite plate using displacement correlation method

Abstract

The second-order statistics of critical stress intensity factor (SIF) of single edge notched fiber reinforced composite plates with random system properties and subjected to uniaxial tensile loadings is investigated. This paper is an extension of reference (Lal and Kapania, 2013) by the present authors by considering more number of input random system parameters for higher accuracy. A C⁰ finite element method based on a higher-order shear deformation plate theory using displacement correlation method via isoparametric quarter point element is proposed for basic formulation. A stochastic finite element method using first-order perturbation technique and Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) is employed to examine the mean, coefficient of variance, and probability density faction of critical first mode SIF. The effect of different fiber orientations, crack length, plate thickness, a number of layers, and the lamination schemes with random system properties on the statistics of SIF of single edge crack laminated composite plate is evaluated. The tensile failure load is predicted using Hashin’s failure criteria. The present approach is validated with results available in literature and by employing independent MCS.     

Fracture Analysis of Double-Side Adhesively Bonded Composite Repairs to Cracked Aluminium Plate Using Line Spring Model

A line spring model is developed for analyzing the fracture problem of cracked metallic plate repaired with the double-sided adhesively bonded composite patch. The restraining action of the bonded patch is modeled as continuous distributed linear springs bridging the crack faces provided that the cracked plate is subjected to extensional load. The effective spring constant is determined from 1-D bonded joint theory. The hyper-singular integral equation (HSIE), which can be solved using the second kind Chebyshev polynomial expansion method, is applied to determine the crack opening displacements (COD) and the crack tip stress intensity factors (SIF) of the repaired cracked plate. The numerical result of SIF for the crack-tip correlates very well with the finite element (FE) computations based on the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT). The present analysis approaches and mathematical techniques are critical to the successful design, analysis and implementation of crack patching.     

Fracture analysis of Kevlar-49/epoxy and e-glass/epoxy doublers for reinforcement of cracked aluminum plates

Adhesively bonded composite patch repair is efficient means to regain load carrying capacity, alleviate the crack growth, and improve the service life of the damaged structure. In this paper, three dimensional finite element models are developed to examine the fracture behavior of a single edge V-notched Aluminum plate repaired with Kevlar-49/epoxy or e-glass/epoxy pre-preg patches on both sides. Contour integral method was used for evaluating the stress intensity factor (SIF), an indicator of the crack stability. The load transfer mechanisms, stress distribution, damage variable (D), and crack mouth opening displacement (CMOD), were also presented to estimate the effectiveness of composite patch repair. The influence of the patch material, crack length and the adhesive thickness has been investigated. Results have shown that the crack induced damage increased nonlinearly with a larger crack size. With the composite patch repairs, SIF is reduced to 1/7–1/10 of that of the bare plate and CMOD decreased by 79%. The damage variable is reduced significantly and the load capacity is increased. A thinner adhesive layer results in a higher percentage of load shared by the composite patch.     

金属裂纹板复合材料修补结构的超奇异积分方程方法

根据应力强度因子在线弹性范围内具有可叠加性,将金属裂纹板复合材料修补结构进行简化,在表面裂纹线弹簧模型的基础上,建立了基于超奇异积分方程的Line-Spring模型。利用第二类Chebyshev多项式展开的方法,将超奇异积分方程转化为线性方程组,推导出以裂纹面位移表示的应力强度因子表达式,得到了裂纹尖端应力强度因子的数值解,并利用虚拟裂纹闭合法加以验证。参数分析确定了影响对称修补裂纹板应力强度因子的两个主要参数:胶层界面刚度和补片与金属板刚度比,为胶接修补结构的承载能力分析以及改进设计提供理论依据。     

SIFs of CCT plate repaired with single‐sided composite patch

Constant amplitude load fatigue tests are performed to obtain crack propagation data for LF2‐aluminium centre crack tension (CCT) plates un‐repaired and repaired with single‐sided composite patches. Then, the James–Anderson method, an experimental method, is used to obtain the stress intensity factor (SIF) formula for the repaired CCT plates with carbon–fibre composite patches. At last, crack propagation life prediction and finite element (FE) calculation are carried out to validate the experimental SIF formula. It is shown that the present SIF formula can exactly predict the fatigue‐crack propagation life of the patched CCT plates and is close to the FE results, which implies the effectivity of the experimental SIF formula in the present paper.     

Stress intensity factor for center-cracked plate with crack surface interference

This paper presents a simple and physically acceptable analysis of stress intensity factor (SIF) for the center-cracked infinite and finite-width plates. The analysis includes the effect of crack surface interference (i.e., the upper and lower crack surfaces are not allowed to overlap) that influences both the SIF at the tension-side crack tip and the crack opening displacement (COD) profile. For an infinite plate, exact solutions are obtained by superimposing the classical (overlapping) solutions. For a finite-width plate, where the SIF solutions cannot be found in closed form, the solutions are carried out numerically. The overlapping SIF solutions from the weight function method are used. An example is given for the case of a finite-width plate under bending. It was found that the overlapping solutions underestimate the stress intensity factor at the tension-side crack tip up to 15%. The analysis results are also compared with the finite element solutions for verification purpose.     

Analytical estimation of stress intensity factors in patched cracked plates

The fatigue and fracture performance of a cracked plate can be substantially improved by providing patches as reinforcements. The effectiveness of the patches is related to the reduction they cause in the stress intensity factor (SIF) of the crack. So, for reliable design, one needs an accurate evaluation of the SIF in terms of the crack, patch and adhesive parameters. In this investigation, a centrally cracked large plate with a pair of symmetric bonded narrow patches, oriented normally to the crack line, is analysed by a continuum approach. The narrow patches are treated as transversely flexible line members. The formulation leads to an integral equation which is solved numerically using point collocation. The convergence is rapid. It is found that substantial reductions in SIF are possible with practicable patch dimensions and locations. The patch is more effective when placed on the crack than ahead of the crack. The present analysis indicates that a little distance inwards of the crack tip, not the crack tip itself, is the ideal location, for the patch.     

Application of decohesive model with mixed damage scale in fracture analysis of composite materials

A decohesive model using a mixed damage scale and using the total fracture energy to simulate the fracture process of composite materials has been developed in this article. The model assumes a bilinear interfacial decohesion function and is incorporated into an interface finite element developed as a user subroutine in the commercial FEA package ABAQUS. In comparison with traditional numerical methods in fracture mechanics, this approach can automatically predict the failure load, crack path and the residual stiffness of bodies undergoing the fracture process. Applications given in this paper are simulation of a typical fracture test with a double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen; modelling a stiffened composite laminated panel under four-point bending and modelling a repaired composite sandwich panel under four-point bending. Good correlation was seen between modelling predictions and experimental results.     

Extended Isogeometric Analysis (XIGA) of Fatigue Life in Attachment Lug

In the present paper, extended isogeometric analysis (XIGA) is used to compute the stress intensity factor (SIF) in straight lugs of Aluminum 7075-T6. XIGA uses the non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) functions and enrichment functions through the partition of unity. The Heaviside function is enriched to capture jump at the crack faces, while the analytical asymptotic solutions are incorporate with NURBS to perform the crack tip singularity. The XIGA-based SIF of edge-cracked plate and straight attachment lug are compared with analytical solution and extended finite element method capability available in ABAQUS. Also, crack growth and fatigue life of single crack in attachment lug are estimated and then compared with the available experimental data for two different load ratios equal to 0.1 and 0.5. The SIF calculated from XIGA are in reasonable agreement with the available data.     

Stress intensity factor for a crack emanating from the root of a semi-circular edge notch in a tension plate

The stress intensity factor (SIF) for a crack radially emanating from the root of a semi-circular edge cut-out is determined theoretically. Firstly, the advantage of using finite Mellin type transform is demonstrated mainly to resolve the boundary conditions for a plate with an edge notch. Secondly, this method has been used to calculate the SIF of a crack in a semi-infinite tension plate, which involves the solution of a Weiner-Hopf integral equation. Finally these analytical results are verified through transmission photoelasticity experiments on model specimens. It is concluded that the SIF increases less rapidly compared to Bowie's problem [1] and there is no appreciable effect of the cut-out on the stress field close to the tip region when the crack size is about seven times the edge-notch radius (Fig. 1).     

Successive 3D FE analysis technique for characterization of fatigue crack growth behavior in composite-repaired aluminum plate

An analytical approach using successive finite element analysis technique was conducted to characterize the fatigue crack growth behavior of pre-cracked aluminum plates reinforced with composite patches. For single-sided repairs, due to the asymmetry and the presence of out-of-plane bending, crack front shape would become skewed curvilinear started from a uniform through-crack profile, as observed from previous studies. As the stress intensity factor (SIF) calculated at the crack tip is much influenced by crack front shape, it is necessary to predict the actual crack front shape evolution and take it into account for the accurate analysis of fatigue behavior. Present procedure performed a three-dimensional geometrically nonlinear finite element analysis to determine the SIF distribution at a set of points along the crack front, and then estimated the crack growth increments at these points by invoking a fatigue crack growth rate relationship (power-law relationship). A new crack front was then established for the next step by using a relevant remeshing scheme. Through conducting this procedure successively, the crack path of the patched plate as well as the fatigue life was evaluated with sufficient accuracy. The analytical predictions of both the crack front shape evolution and the fatigue life were in good agreement with the experimental observations.     

基于全试验设计方法的含裂纹铝合金板复合材料修补参数优化

建立含穿透裂纹铝合金板复合材料单面胶接修补板条的三维有限元模型,基于位移外推法对裂纹尖端的应力强度因子(SIF)进行求解。使用全试验设计的方法对不同修补参数下修补板条的单向拉伸试验进行仿真模拟,利用二次方程描述并研究了补片长度、补片厚度及胶层弹性模量共同作用时对SIF的影响,确定了以SIF为评价指标时对修补效果影响最大的修补参数,优化了修补设计,并应用优化修补参数进行单向静拉伸试验。结果表明,当三类修补参数共同作用时,补片长度对修补效果影响最大;使用优化修补参数单面修补试验件的破坏强度比未修补板的提高了12.1%,恢复到完好板的90.5%。     

Fracture Analysis of Concrete Structural Components Accounting for Tension Softening Effect

This paper presents methodologies for fracture analysis of concrete structural components with and without considering tension softening effect. Stress intensity factor (SIF) is computed by using analytical approach and finite element analysis. In the analytical approach, SIF accounting for tension softening effect has been obtained as the difference of SIF obtained using linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) principles and SIF due to closing pressure. Superposition principle has been used by accounting for non-linearity in incremental form. SIF due to crack closing force applied on the effective crack face inside the process zone has been computed using Green's function approach. In finite element analysis, the domain integral method has been used for computation of SIF. The domain integral method is used to calculate the strain energy release rate and SIF when a crack grows. Numerical studies have been conducted on notched 3-point bending concrete specimen with and without considering the cohesive stresses. It is observed from the studies that SIF obtained from the finite element analysis with and without considering the cohesive stresses is in good agreement with the corresponding analytical value. The effect of cohesive stress on SIF decreases with increase of crack length. Further, studies have been conducted on geometrically similar structures and observed that (i) the effect of cohesive stress on SIF is significant with increase of load for a particular crack length and (iii) SIF values decreases with increase of tensile strength for a particular crack length and load.     

An enriched element‐failure method (REFM) for delamination analysis of composite structures

This paper develops an enriched element‐failure method for delamination analysis of composite structures. This method combines discontinuous enrichments in the extended finite element method and element‐failure concepts in the element‐failure method within the finite element framework. An improved discontinuous enrichment function is presented to effectively model the kinked discontinuities; and, based on fracture mechanics, a general near‐tip enrichment function is also derived from the asymptotic displacement fields to represent the discontinuity and local stress intensification around the crack‐tip. The delamination is treated as a crack problem that is represented by the discontinuous enrichment functions and then the enrichments are transformed to external nodal forces applied to nodes around the crack. The crack and its propagation are modeled by the ‘failed elements’ that are applied to the external nodal forces. Delamination and crack kinking problems can be solved simultaneously without remeshing the model or re‐assembling the stiffness matrix with this method. Examples are used to demonstrate the application of the proposed method to delamination analysis. The validity of the proposed method is verified and the simulation results show that both interlaminar delamination and crack kinking (intralaminar crack) occur in the cross‐ply laminated plate, which is observed in the experiment. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction of energy absorption in composite stiffeners

The energy absorption behavior of composite stiffeners subjected to axial compression has been investigated. Flat plate, angle, and channel specimens were fabricated of T650-35/F584 graphite/epoxy plain-weave fabric and were crush tested under axial compression. A nonlinear finite element approach was used to model the sustained crushing of the flat plate specimens, and a progressive failure model was implemented as part of the finite element analysis to enable investigation of the fundamental mechanisms involved in the crushing behavior. The progressive failure model was based on linear elastic fracture mechanics for prediction of crack growth and a set of failure criteria for predicting fiber/matrix failures that occurred as a result of large deformations. Friction between the specimen and the crushing surface was included in the model. A semi-empirical analysis methodology was developed for prediction of the energy absorption capability of composite stiffeners based on crush tests of flat plate specimens and an understanding of the fundamentals of the energy absorption process.     

Multiscale fatigue crack growth modelling for welded stiffened panels

The influence of welding residual stresses in stiffened panels on effective stress intensity factor (SIF) values and fatigue crack growth rate is studied in this paper. Interpretation of relevant effects on different length scales such as dislocation appearance and microstructural crack nucleation and propagation is taken into account using molecular dynamics simulations as well as a Tanaka–Mura approach for the analysis of the problem. Mode I SIFs, K_I, were calculated by the finite element method using shell elements and the crack tip displacement extrapolation technique. The total SIF value, K_tot, is derived by a part due to the applied load, K_appl, and by a part due to welding residual stresses, K_res. Fatigue crack propagation simulations based on power law models showed that high tensile residual stresses in the vicinity of a stiffener significantly increase the crack growth rate, which is in good agreement with experimental results.     

Determination of stress intensity factor for embedded elliptical crack in turbine rotor

The stress intensity factor (SIF) for an embedded elliptical crack in a turbine rotor and the thermal shock stress intensity factor for a semi-elliptical surface crack in a finite plate are determined by means of Vainshtok's weight function method. The solution for the semi-elliptical surface crack is in good agreement with the previous one. The value of the SIF for the embedded elliptical crack in the turbine rotor under centrifugal and thermal loading is larger at the crack contour near the inner radius surface and almost constant at the opposite crack contour. The SIF decreases by increasing the crack ratio, and the distance between the inner radius surface and the crack center.     

Damage and failure in low energy impact of fiber-reinforced polymeric composite laminates

We analyze the damage initiation, damage progression, and failure during 3-dimensional (3-D) elasto-plastic deformations of a fiber reinforced polymeric laminated composite impacted by a low speed rigid sphere, and compare computed results with experimental findings available in the literature. Damage is assumed to initiate when one of Hashin’s failure criteria is satisfied, and its evolution is modeled by an empirical relation proposed by Matzenmiller, Lubliner and Taylor. The transient nonlinear problem is solved by the finite element method (FEM). Contributions of the work include considering damage in 3-D rather than plane stress deformations of a laminated structure and elasto-plastic deformations of the composite. This has been accomplished by developing a user defined subroutine and implementing it in the FE software ABAQUS. From strains supplied by ABAQUS the material subroutine uses a micro-mechanics approach based on the method of cells and values of material parameters of constituents to calculate average stresses in an FE, and checks for Hashin’s failure criteria. If damage has initiated in the material, the subroutine evaluates the damage developed, computes resulting stresses, and provides them to ABAQUS. The damage evolved at a material point is not allowed to decrease during unloading. The delamination failure mode is simulated by using the cohesive zone model available in ABAQUS. The computed time histories of the axial load acting on the impactor are found to agree well with the experimental ones available in the literature, and various damage and failure modes agree qualitatively with those observed in tests.     

基于三维Puck失效准则及唯象模量退化的复合材料臂杆屈曲分析

针对碳纤维增强树脂基复合材料（CFRP）臂杆结构在压缩和扭转载荷条件下屈曲与后屈曲问题,采用三维Puck失效准则和基于唯象分析的模量退化方法,同时考虑层合结构就位效应及沿纤维方向应力对横向强度的影响,建立了一种适用于考虑渐进失效CFRP结构的屈曲分析方法,并通过编写有限元软件ANSYS的USERMAT子程序进行了数值实现。与文献中实验结果的对比表明,上述方法能够分析复合材料结构的渐进失效过程和后屈曲承载特性,预测精度高。进而采用此方法,详细分析了某航天器臂杆结构在承受压缩与扭转载荷条件下的屈曲载荷及后屈曲特性。      

Effect of biaxial loads on elastic-plastic <Emphasis Type="Italic">J</Emphasis> and crack tip constraint for cracked plates: finite element study

Based on detailed two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) analyses, this paper attempts to quantify in-plane and out-of-plane constraint effects on elastic-plastic J and crack tip stresses for a plate with a through-thickness crack and semi-elliptical surface crack under positive biaxial loading. For the plate with a through-thickness crack, plate thickness and relative crack length are systematically varied, whereas for the plate with a semi-elliptical surface crack, the relative crack depth and aspect ratio of the semi-elliptical crack are systematically varied. It is found that the reference stress based approach for uniaxial loading can be applied to estimate J under biaxial loading, provided that the limit load specific to biaxial loading is used, implying that quantification of the biaxiality effect on the limit load is important. Investigation on the effect of biaxiality on the limit load suggests that for relatively thin plates with small cracks, in particular with semi-elliptical surface cracks, the effect of biaxiality on the limit load can be neglected for positive biaxial loading, and thus elastic-plastic J for a biaxially loaded plate could be estimated, assuming that such plate is subject to uniaxial load. Regarding the effect of biaxiality on crack tip stress triaxiality, it is found that such effect is more pronounced for a thicker plate. For plates with semi-elliptical surface cracks, the crack aspect ratio is found to be more important than the relative crack depth, and the effect of biaxiality on crack tip stress triaxiality is found to be more pronounced near the surface points along the crack front.