Failure analysis for interacting cracks in layered composite materials

• Main Author: Tiong, Garrick Jianming
• Other Authors: Xiao Zhongmin
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2022
• Subjects: Engineering::Mechanical engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/157348
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This project focuses on determining cracks in a layered composite using the ANSYS engineering simulation software V19.2. Layered composites are receiving more attention from researchers and are employed for applications in the aerospace field. Fibre-reinforced plastics are composed of materials such as carbon fibre and epoxy [1], which prove to be superior to traditional aluminium due to their low density and reduced cost, providing a significant boost to aircraft performance, particularly in the aspect of fuel consumption. Hitherto no research work has been conducted on how cracks and interfaces affect the crack propagation and fatigue life of layered composite materials. Herein, such a topic is explored in two stages. In the first stage, a simulation of two cracks near a straight-line interface is conducted, in which the two cracks and the interface are close to one another. In the second stage, a similar simulation with the same cracks near a wavy interface is performed, allowing for a comparison to ascertain interface is more suitable for reinforcing layered composite materials.