Nonlinear Viscoelastic,Viscoplastic Characterization of Unidirectional GF/EP Composite

Viscoplastic strains of unidirectional continuous fiber composite (HEXCEL GF/EPprepreg system) are studied experimentally and theoretically. Creep and strainrecovery tests are used. Schapery's nonlinear viscoelastic viscoplasticconstitutive equations are used and generalized to describe inelastic behavior ofunidirectional composite under isothermal creep and strain recovery conditions. Themethodology to quantify the viscoplastic strains with respect to applied stress isproposed. Viscoplastic strains of composite are described by plastic shear strain inmaterial symmetry axis. Assumptions has been used and validated that the functiondescribing the stress and time dependence of viscoplastic strain can be presented asa product of two, time and correspondingly stress dependent, master curves.     

Post-buckling finite element analysis of composite cylindrical panels in axial compression

The post-buckling behaviour of composite cylindrical panels in axial compression is investigated using the nonlinear finite element theory. A branch switching algorithm with an ‘eigenmode injection’ is discussed. The effect of the reinforcement angle on the buckling load, as well as the post-buckling behaviour of the panels, are analysed. Examples are considered for separated and closely spaced bifurcation points.

By varying the reinforcement angle of the panels from 0 to 90°, two kinds of buckling modes are discovered for asymmetric and unstable symmetric lowest points of bifurcation. Local minima for the secondary branches of geometrically perfect panels are no less than 15% of their buckling loads, while values of the buckling loads alter more than twice in this region.

A 16-node degenerated shell element with full integration scheme is used.