The Impact Damage Tolerance Of Carbon/Epoxy Cross-Ply Laminate Using Numerical Analysis Method (Abaqus

Abstract

This study is about investigating impact damage on a carbon/epoxy cross-ply laminate using finite element analysis. This research focuses the High Weight (HW) impact damage tolerance on the cross-ply orientation composites. Abaqus are used as the Finite Element program conducting this study. The experiment is on carbon-epoxy composite laminates where carbon composites are widely used in aerospace industry. This studies are very significant with the aviation industry since the safety of the aircraft is one of the most important factor to avoid any fatal that can be happened if there any damage on the composites/body of the aircraft. Nowadays, aircraft structure design with almost 50% of composites. The numerical study is on carbon/epoxy composite with cross-ply laminates and twenty laminates plies are used. The composite are tested with high weight (HW) object, an impactor throughout the entire test series. Various Energy input is used during the analysis to compare the impact damage on the composite. A 3D finite element model using solid element was developed from the PATRAN pre-processing to analyze the impact damage effect on the structure. The model is created with input file then later transfer to Abaqus for the visual outcome of the impact damage. Numerical analysis validates experimental data. Moreover, a Numerical analysis (finite element analysis) offers less cost than the experimental testing but the results obtained are accurate. It also shortens the time period of getting the output of the study and provides more accurate result. In Chapter 1 shows the aim for this research, which is to study about the effect of damage tolerance of stacking sequence on HW impact damage tolerance of composite laminates by using PATRAN as pre-processing to get the numerical analysis that read the absorption of the impact damage to these cross-ply composite were studied. This studies also investigates whether the key parameters such as the impact energy and laminate cross-ply affecting the impact damage resistance and vii

the post-impact compression strength and modulus properties of carbon/epoxy laminate composite. In chapter 2, we are discussing the previous research that been done, how the carbon/epoxy cross-ply laminates been construct, to ensure the difference characteristics between the other composites laminates. In this section also, which is literature review, we can see the scientific progress regarding the mechanical properties and failure mechanism of the laminates through each thickness is presented in this thesis. Furthermore, this section reveals that there were published information regarding the study on improvement to increase the in-through-thickness strength composites, and the barely visible impact damage (BVID) conditions to the composite in the aviation environments due to low velocity impact damage. The methodology in chapter 3 shows the process of the research, all of the steps through pre-processing, processing and post-processing is shows in this section. We will gone through all the method one-by-one step to ensure the understanding of how this research is being done. In chapter 4, the results that comes from the Finite Element Analysis, that in simple form, to shows the impact damage tolerance at the laminates. This is because, the objective of this study are to presents an analysis study of the impact damage tolerance in plies stacking towards the HW impact damage tolerance of cross-ply laminates carbon/epoxy composite materials. Based on chapter 5, we can see the various results regarding from the energy used in each test, based on the test results on the chapter 4. This can shows how the flow of the damage tolerance between each test that can ensure the analysis from the finite element to help the study of the cross-ply laminates. From the results, the cross-ply laminates is tough enough to prevent low energy impact rather than high impact. Furthermore, the results from the test can shows the recommendation that by using Finite Element Analysis, we can save time and money to make some test regarding the cross-ply laminates. However, the validation of the program could not be done due to insufficient time for a degree student.