Functionally Sorted Laminated Material for Damage Resistance and Damage Tolerance

Abstract

In this thesis, the damage mechanisms and failure behaviours of hybrid laminates panels due to out-of-plane impact and near-edge and on-edge impact were investigated. The impact tests include low-velocity dynamic impact test and quadra-static indentation. Compression after impact was conducted to discover the residual stiffness in the post-test samples and the improvement of damage resistance and damage tolerance are analysed. A novel testing and inspection method had been developed by combining X-ray CT-scan and quadra-static indentation to observe formation of damage gradually and clearly. Finite element models for beams and plates were created to study the interaction between layers and a correlation had been established by an analytical model using through-thickness-shear stress. By adding glass layers into carbon laminates, the hybrid laminates display increases in structural efficiency of up to 32% in comparison to full carbon laminates with identical impact energies. In the on-edge and near-edge impact tests, for blocked stacking sequence, the delaminations and cracks are contained in the middle region of sample, which increases residual stiffness and increase structure damage tolerance.

Date of Award	10 Jul 2018
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bath
Supervisor	Andrew Rhead (Supervisor) & Richard Butler (Supervisor)