Variable-stiffness composite panels: Buckling and first-ply failure improvements over straight-fibre laminates

One of the primary advantages of using fibre-reinforced laminated composites in structural design is the ability to change the stiffness and strength properties of the laminate by designing the laminate stacking sequence in order to improve its performance. This procedure is typically referred to as laminate tailoring. Traditionally, tailoring is done by keeping the fibre orientation angle within each layer constant throughout a structural component. Allowing the fibres to follow curvilinear paths within the plane of the laminates constitutes an advanced tailoring option that can lead to modification of load paths within the laminate to result in more favourable stress distributions and improve the laminate performance.Based on numerical simulations, the present work demonstrates the advantages of variable-stiffness over straight-fibre laminates in terms of compressive buckling and first-ply failure. A physically based set of failure criteria, able to predict the various modes of failure of a composite laminated structure, is implemented in finite element models of straight and variable-stiffness panels under compression. Non-linear analyses are carried out to simulate first-ply failure in the postbuckling regime.     

Controlling failure using structural fuses for predictable progressive failure of composite laminates

Structural fuses have been used to bias and control failures in structural applications where predictability of the progressive failure or collapse response is important. Tailoring structural fuses by trial and error in large structures that have numerous possible load and failure paths is not possible because the optimum failure sequence is not known a priori. Using nondeterministic methods to tailor structural fuses is computationally expensive. A procedure for developing deterministic measures to optimize structural fuses is presented here. The progressive failure of composite laminates is used for demonstration. Structural fuses are optimized using a reliability optimization. The failure response characteristics of the laminate with optimum structural fuses are used to identify deterministic measures that correlate with high progressive failure predictability. The deterministic measures are validated by using them as surrogate design criteria in a deterministic optimization to optimize structural fuses that control failure and improve progressive failure predictability. The improvement in predictability of the deterministic optimum design achieved by using optimized structural fuses is better than that obtained by optimizing the ply angles of the laminate explicitly for predictability.     

Optimization with non-homogeneous failure criteria like Tsai–Wu for composite laminates

In designing composite laminates, minimization of a suitable failure criterion is sometimes selected as the objective function. However, for non-homogeneous criteria, e.g., the Tsai–Wu criterion, this objective function will not maximize the failure load, when it is carried at a load which is different from the failure load. We suggest that the use of a safety factor for the objective function is more appropriate for maximizing for the faiure load. In fact we show losses of more than 40% in the load carrying capacity even when the load carrying capacity of the optimal laminate is 75% of the applied load.     

Multicriterion optimization of composite laminates for maximum failure margins with an interactive descent algorithm

An interactive multicriterion optimization method for composite laminates subjected to multiple loading conditions is introduced. Laminate margins to initial failure (First Ply Failure, FPF) with respect of the applied loading conditions are treated as criteria. The original problem is reduced to a bicriterion problem by introducing parameters to combine linearly some criteria. The problem is solved by using an interactive descent algorithm. Both the conditions required for a discrete procedure to converge towards a Pareto optimum and numerical examples are given.     

Three-dimensional finite element analysis of interlaminar stresses in thick composite laminates

The three-dimensional finite element computer program has been developed to investigate interlaminar stresses in thick composite laminates. The finite element analysis is based on displacement formulation employing curved isoparametric 16-node elements. By using substructure technique, the program developed is capable of handling any composite laminates which consist of any number of orthotropic laminae and any orientations. In this paper, solid laminates and laminates with a circular hole were taken to study interlaminar stresses at the straight edge and the curved edge, respectively. Various solid laminates such as [45_n/0_n − 45_n/90_n]_s, [45/0/ − 45/90]_ns, and [45/0/ − 45/90]_sn (n = 1˜4) were analyzed. Also, [45/0/ − 45/90]_sn laminates with a circular hole were studied for n = 1 ˜ 20. The effect of laminate thickness and stacking sequence on the interlaminar stresses near the free edge was investigated. Interlaminar stresses were governed by stacking sequence rather than laminate thickness. The boundary layer width did not increase with laminate thickness but with the number of plies in the repeating unit.     

Impact damage in composite laminates

A low velocity impact damage model for the quasi-symmetric graphite fiber composite plates is presented. The distribution of damage in each layer of the plate was calculated by employing Di Sciuva's composite laminate theory together with Hashin's failure criterion for fiber-reinforced composites. The dynamic deformation of the target plate was represented by the lower vibrational modes of the plate. The principle of virtual work was applied in the formulation of the problem. In the analysis, the material was regarded as ‘damaged’ when its designed strength was reduced by the failure of its constituents. The constituent failures consisted of matrix crackings, fiber breakages, and delamination between layers. According to damage modes, the moduli of material in the damaged zone were reduced according to the failure criteria. The interaction between layers and its role in damage propagation were also studied.     

A comparative study on the metaheuristic-based optimization of skew composite laminates

Engineering with Computers - Plate structures are the integral parts of any maritime engineering platform. With the recent focus on composite structures, the need for optimizing their design and...     

A general approach forcing convexity of ply angle optimization in composite laminates

This paper deals with optimization of laminated composite structures in which the ply angles are taken as design variables. One of the major problems when using ply-angles as design variables, is the lack of convexity of the objective function and thus the existence of local optima, which implies that usual gradient based optimization procedures may not be effective. Therefore, a new general approach that avoids the abovementioned problems of nonconvexity when ply-angles are used as design variables is proposed. The methodology is based upon the fact that the design space for an optimization problem formulated in lamination parameters [introduced by Tsai and Pagano (1968)] is proven to be convex, because the laminate stiffnesses are expressed linearly in terms of the lamination parameters. However, lamination parameters have at least two major shortcomings: as yet, for the general case involving membrane-bending coupling, the constraints between the lamination parameters are not completely defined; also, for a prescribed set of lamination parameters physically realizable composite laminates (e.g. laminates with equal thickness plies) may not exist. The approach here, uses both lamination parameters and ply-angles and thereby uses the advantages of both and eliminates the shortcomings of both.In order to illustrate this approach, several stiffness optimization examples are provided.     

Optimum design of composite laminates for minimum thickness

In this study, an optimization procedure is proposed to minimize thickness (or weight) of laminated composite plates subject to in-plane loading. Fiber orientation angles and layer thickness are chosen as design variables. Direct search simulated annealing (DSA), which is a reliable global search algorithm, is used to search the optimal design. Static failure criteria are used to determine whether load bearing capacity is exceeded for a configuration generated during the optimization process. In order to avoid spurious optimal designs, both the Tsai–Wu and the maximum stress criteria are employed to check static failure. Numerical results are obtained and presented for different loading cases.     

A finite element formulation for composite laminates with smart constrained layer damping

A composite laminate with active constrained-layer damping treatment is studied. The interface element for viscoelastic damping layers has been developed based on the relative displacements between composite plates and piezoelectric constraining layers. As an example, the problem of forced oscillations of the laminated composite structure with a smart constrained damping treatment is solved and the vibration response of the composite plate with smart damping layers is calculated using the presently developed procedure.     

Orthotropic material orientation optimization method in composite laminates

This paper proposes a optimization method that is capable of simultaneous design of multiple layers in a composite laminate with respect to multiple objective functions. The optimization process obtains a continuous orientation of an orthotropic material for each layer of the laminate. Each layer by itself is a single design domain, which allows multiple domains to be stacked in various orientations. Multiple optimization objectives are considered resulting in layers that perform different functions. The layers are modeled within a three-dimensional structure and by discretizing the structure using three-dimensional elements, the interaction between individual layers can be modeled. This also allows the optimization method to obtain a three-dimensional orientation vector. In this study, the individual layers are assumed to be thin, limiting the orientation vector to the mid-plane of the layer. The optimization model is tested on a two-layer laminate in which one layer is optimized for thermal control by directing heat toward specified sections while shielding other sections and the second layer is optimized to reduce the total deformation of the laminate structure that results from the thermal load. The results of simultaneous optimization for both layers are shown for several different configurations of boundary conditions.     

Control of a single-link flexibe manipulator fabricated form composite laminates

An experimental investigation on the control performances of a single-link flexible manipulator fabricated from composite laminates is presented. The dynamic modeling of the flexible manipulator is accomplished by employing Hamilton's principle, prior to developing a finite element formulation. An output feedback controller associated with two collocated angular position and velocity sensors is designed and experimentally implemented. Comparative works are undertaken to demonstrate some of the advantages to be accrued from this proposed methodology. It is shown that the manipulator fabricated from composite laminates has superior performance characteristics, such as smaller tip deflections and a smaller input torque relative to the manipulator fabricated from aluminum. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Simulation of multiple delaminations in composite laminates under mixed-mode deformations

A delamination analysis is developed in order to predict the defect evolution when a fiber composite laminate, with outer layers of equal or different thickness, is subjected to a compression load and multiple delaminations. In particular, the presence of two delaminated zones coaxially positioned on the two opposite sides of the laminate is analysed. In order to accurately predict the growth of delamination, when mode I and II are interacting, some fracture criteria have been proposed. Some results will be given to show the influence on the delamination buckling and on the growth phenomenon of the main geometrical and mechanical characteristics of the structure in order to show the pronounced role of the fracture modes on stable or unstable delamination growth.     

Flexure of composite laminates using the thick finite strip method

A thick finite strip method is applied to the problem of flexure of composite laminates. The formulation which is based on Mindlin's plate theory takes account of transverse shear deformation. Examples are presented giving comparisons with exact three dimensional, thick plate and classical thin plate solutions.     

A finite element analysis of adhesively bonded composite joints with moisture diffusion and delayed failure

A two-dimensional finite element computational procedure is developed for the accurate analysis of the strains and stresses in adhesively bonded joints. The adhesive layer is modeled using Schapery's nonlinear single integral constitutive law for uniaxial and multiaxial states of stress. The effect of temperature and stress level on the viscoelastic response is taken into account by a nonlinear shift factor definition. Penetrant Sorption is accounted for by a nonlinear Fickean diffusion model in which the diffusion coefficient is dependent on the penetrant concentration and the dilatational strain. A delayed failure criterion based on the Reiner-Weisenberg failure theory has also been implemented in the finite element code. The applicability of the proposed models is demonstrated by several numerical examples.     

卫星推进系统复合材料高压气瓶爆破失效分析

介绍一种卫星推进系统复合材料气瓶的2种功能失效模式:爆破失效和疲劳失效.重点分析引起爆破失效的主要因素,通过ANSYS采用薄壁壳单元SHELL 91模拟碳纤维螺旋缠绕层和环向缠绕层组合缠绕的多层结构模型,并提出一种爆破失效验证方法.研究结果表明,应力断裂、复合层受损和树脂开裂等是引起复合层破裂的主要因素.复合材料气瓶测试结果表明:采用SHELL 91模拟复合多层结构的分析方法是一种有效、实用的方法;基于复合层单层结构判定理论的爆破失效验证方法是合理、可行的,并可以为降低其失效概率提供数据依据.     

Nonlinear analysis of edge effects in angle-ply laminates

An initial stress iteration method using a quasi-three-dimensional finite element has been developed for the nonlinear analysis of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) laminates subjected to a uniform inplane load. Linear and nonlinear analyses of the free edge problem were carried out for the [0/90]_s, and [ ± 45]_s laminates with and without resin layers included between plies of laminae. The nonlinear results show that the peak shear stress in the [0/90]_s laminate and all the stress components in the [±45], laminates are reduced. A maximum strain failure criterion was used and failure modes were predicted.