Numerical modelling of the impact damage growth in the laminated carbon-fiber reinforced plastic under cyclic compression
Authors: Turbin N.V.
Published in issue: #12(168)/2025
Category: Aviation and Rocket-Space Engineering | Chapter: Strength and Thermal Conditions of Aircraft
The paper presents a methodology for the computational evaluation of post-impact damage growth under cyclic compressive loading in a flat CFRP panel using numerical simulation. Based on the hypotheses introduced, a solution for the duration of damage growth is obtained. The critical damage size to produce damage growth was determined based on the calculation of the crack driving force versus damage size relationship using the finite element method. An example of using the technique for the case of cyclic compression of a structural element containing impact damage is presented. The results of using the presented approach to calculate the duration of damage growth show the possibility of using the slow growth approach in composite structures. For further development of the proposed methodology it is necessary to solve the problem of obtaining the exact parameters of the damage growth rate equation taking into account the selected measure of the crack driving force.
EDN HQFGTK
References
[1] Pascoe J.A. Slow-growth damage tolerance for fatigue after impact in FRP composites: Why current research won’t get us there. Procedia Struct. Integr., 2021, vol. 28, pp. 726–733.
[2] Kassapoglou C. Modeling the Effect of Damage in Composite Structures: Simplified Approaches. John Wiley & Sons, 2015, 248 p.
[3] Molent L., Haddad A. A critical review of available composite damage growth test data under fatigue loading and implications for aircraft sustainment. Compos. Struct., 2020, vol. 232, p. 111568.
[4] Bull D.J., Spearing S.M., Sinclair I. Image-enhanced modelling of residual compressive after impact strength in laminated composites. Compos. Struct., 2018, vol. 192, pp. 20–27.
[5] Nettles A.T., Scharber L. The Influence of GI and GII on the compression after impact strength of carbon fiber/epoxy laminates. J. Compos. Mater., 2018, vol. 52, pp. 991–1003.
[6] Sun X.C.; Hallett S.R. Failure mechanisms and damage evolution of laminated composites under compression after impact (CAI): Experimental and numerical study. Compos. Part A: Appl. Sci. Manuf., 2018, vol. 104, pp. 41–59.
[7] Barbero E. J. Finite element analysis of composite materials using Abaqus®. CRC Press, 2023, 571 p.
[8] Bolotin V.B. Defekty tipa rassloyeniy v konstruktsiyakh iz kompozitnykh materialov [Delamination-type defects in composite structures]. Mekhanika kompozitnykh materialov — Mechanics of Composite Materials, 1984, vol. 2, pp. 239–255 (in Russ.)
[9] Turbin N.V., Kononov N.O. Complex analysis of the impact damage growth in the composite element under cyclic compression. Aerospace MAI Journal, 2025, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 108–117.
[10] RTS-AP25.571-1A «Otsenka dopustimosti povrezhdeniy i ustalostnoy prochnosti konstruktsii» [RC-AP25.571-1A “Assessment of the admissibility of damage and fatigue strength of a structure”]. Zhukovskiy town, TSAGI, 2015 (in Russ.)
[11] ASTM Standard D7136-15. Standard test method for measuring the damage resistance of a fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite to a drop-weight impact event. American Society for Testing and Materials Annual Book of standards, 2020, p. 16.
[12] ASTM Standard D7137-17. Standard test method for compressive residual strength properties of damaged polymer matrix composite laminates. American Society for Testing and Materials Annual Book of standards, 2023, p. 16.
[13] Strizhius V.E., Turbin N.V. Fatigue strength estimates for composite wing panels of prospective supersonic transport aircraft. Aerospace Systems, 2024, vol. 7, pp. 75–81.
[14] Strizhius V.E. Estimation of equivalent stresses and equivalents of the fatigue test programs of airframe composite elements. Civil Aviation High Technologies, 2020, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 87–100. (in Russ.)
[15] Strizhius V. Predicting the Degradation of the Residual Strength in Cyclic Loading of Layered Composites. Mech Compos Mater, 2022, vol. 58, pp. 527–536.