The expansion of composite tubes

• Main Author: Tsang, Thaddeus WenJun.
• Other Authors: Chai Gin Boay
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Mechanical engineering::Assistive technology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/53287
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

It is without doubt that energy absorbers have played an important role for many decades to minimize damage in industries where impact is intrinsic in nature. Industries such as the automotive industry and aviation industry where vehicles or machines are subjected to impact through accidents, or even oil and gas industry, where fluid pipes are subjected to forces, both internal or external are some examples. Expansion of tubes is a possible method of measuring energy absorption. And since it has been shown in previous research papers that wrapping bare tubes with composite layers can help to enhance energy absorption in tubes, the author attempted in furthering this claim, this time with the use of fibre-glass composites (L-530 solution coated epoxy prepreg). Using Mild Steel Tubes and varying wrapping layers in multiples of 5 to a maximum of 15, expansion testing was done using a DF-2 Steel expansion die. The results concluded that the energy absorption capacities generally increase with the number of layers of composites at an increasing rate. However, depending on what the energy is calculated with respect to, for example unit mass, the result may be otherwise. As a further study to tube expansion, lateral compression of tubes was also studied, ceteris paribus.