Measurement of Temperature and Residual Strain during Fatigue of a CFRP Composite Using Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors

Fatigue behaviour has important implications for engineering composite structures in sectors ranging from automotive to aerospace. Optical sensing technology displays excellent performance in these fields for monitoring. In this paper, temperature and residual strain during fatigue of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer（CFRP） are investigated. Four autoclaved CFRP beam specimens, with fiber Bragg grating（FBG） sensors and thermocouples embedded at selected locations, are subjected to three-point bending cyclic loading on the BOSE testing machine for fatigue testing. Thennocouples are used to measure the temperature while FBGs can sense the temperature and strain as well. Seven tests in total are conducted at different frequencies, and each test lasts for several days. From the experimental results, transient steep peaks of temperature increases （up to 2.3℃） are discovered at the beginning of the load. The following constant temperature increments are around 1.0℃, which is not relevant to frequencies from 0.1 Hz to 20 Hz and suspected due to fatigue. Residual strains of 1×10^-5-2×10^-5 during fatigue, fading away rapidly when unloading, are also reported. Embedded FBGs here are validated to sense temperature and strains in composite structures, which demonstrates promising potentials in structure monitoring fields. CFRP are verified to have an excellent performance during fatigue with low temperature increase and residual strain.

Impact Responses of the Carbon Fiber Fabric Reinforced Composites

To study the response characteristics of the carbon fiber fabric reinforced composites under impact loading, one dimensional strain impact test, multi gauge technique and Lagrange analysis method are used. The decaying rule of the stress σ , strain ε , strain rate ε · and density ρ with time and space is obtained. By the theory of dynamics, the impact response characteristics of the material is analyzed and discussed.

Toughness and Fracture Mechanism of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

The fracture toughness of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite(CFRP)was investigated through mode I and mode II shaped fracture system in this paper.A novel polyimide with trifluoromethyl groups and grafted nanosilica were used to modify epoxy resin.Effect of modified resin and unmodified resin on fracture toughness of CFRP was compared and discussed.Lay-up angles and thicknesses effects on fracture toughness of composites were also investigated.The fracture toughness of CFRP was obtained through double cantilever beam(DCB)and end notched flexure(ENF)tests.The results showed that the composites prepared by modified resin exhibited high fracture toughness compared with unmodified composites.The fracture toughness value of mode I increased from 1.83 kJ/m2 to 4.55 kJ/m2.The fracture toughness value of mode II increased from 2.30 kJ/m2 to 6.47 kJ/m2.

Experimental and numerical investigation of mechanical behavior of plain woven CFRP composites subjected to three-point bending

The mechanical behavior of plain woven Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer(CFRP)composites under Three-Point Bending(TPB)is investigated via experimental and numerical approaches.Multiscale models,including microscale,mesoscale and macroscale models,have been developed to characterize the TPB strength and damages.Thereinto,Representative Volume Elements(RVEs)of the microscale and mesoscale structures are established to determine the effective properties of carbon-fiber yarn and CFRP composites,respectively.Aimed at accurately and efficiently predicting the TPB behavior,an Equivalent Cross-Ply Laminate(ECPL)cell is proposed to simplify the inherent woven architecture,and the effective properties of the subcell are computed using a local homogenization approach.The macroscale model of the TPB specimen is constructed by a topology structure of ECPL cells to predict the mechanical behavior.The TPB experiments have been performed to validate the multiscale models.Both the experimental and numerical results reveal that delamination mainly appears in the top and bottom interfaces of the CFRP laminates.And matrix cracking and delamination are identified as the significant damage modes during the TPB process.Finally,the quasi-static and dynamic behaviors of plain woven composites are discussed by comparing the results of Low-Velocity Impact(LVI)and TPB simulations.

Influence of voids on interlaminar shear strength of carbon/epoxy fabric laminates

The effects of voids(void content,void shape and size)on the interlaminar shear strength of[(±45)_(4)/(0,90)/(±45)_(2)]_(S) and [(±45)/0_(4)/(0,90)/0_(2)]_(S) composite laminates were investigated.Specimens with void contents in the range of 0.2%-8.0%for [(±45)_(4)/(0,90)/(±45)_(2)]_(S) and 0.2%-6.1%for[(±45)/0_(4)/(0,90)/0_(2)]_(S) were fabricated from carbon/epoxy fabric through varying autoclave pressures.The characteristics of the voids were studied by using optical image analysis to explain the interlaminar shear strength results.The influences of voids on the interlaminar shear strength of the two stacking sequences were compared in terms of the void content and size and shape of the void.The effect of voids on the initiation and propagation of interlaminar failure of both stacking sequence composites was found.