Study on the compressive residual strength after edge low-velocity impact of T300/69 laminates

Abstract

Purpose

Engineering composite laminates/structures are usually subjected to complex and variable loads, which result in interlayer delamination damage. However, damaged laminate may cause the whole structure to fail before reaching the design level. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop an equivalent model to effectively evaluate compressive residual strength.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, taking carbon fiber reinforced composite T300/69 specimens as the study object, first, the compressive residual strength under different impact energy is obtained. Then, zero-thickness cohesive elements, Hashin failure criteria and Camanho nonlinear degradation scheme are used to simulate the full-process simulation for compression after edge impact (CAEI). Lastly, based on an improved Whitney–Nuismer criterion, the equation of edge hole stress distribution, characteristic length and compressive residual strength is used to verify the correctness of the equivalent model.

Findings

An equivalent relationship between the compressive residual strength of damaged laminates and laminates with edge hole is established. For T300/69 laminates with a thickness of 2.4 mm, the compressive residual strength after damage under an impact energy of 3 J is equivalent to that when the hole aperture R = 2.25 mm and the hole aperture R = 9.18 mm when impact energy is 6 J. Besides, the relationship under the same size and different thickness is obtained.

Originality/value

The value of this study is to provide a reference for the equivalent behavior of damaged laminates. An equivalent model proposed in this paper will contribute to the research of compressive residual strength and provide a theoretical basis for practical engineering application.

Citation

Wei, Y., Wang, X., Liu, J., Li, J. and Pan, Y. (2023), "Study on the compressive residual strength after edge low-velocity impact of T300/69 laminates", International Journal of Structural Integrity, Vol. 14 No. 5, pp. 733-754. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSI-04-2023-0030