Engineering topics

Herakovich, C. T.

Publications and source records attributed to Herakovich, C. T..

At least 73 records · Page 4

NASA NTRS1981

On the relationship between engineering properties and delamination of composite laminates

The influence of the coefficient of mutal influence, Poisson's ratio and coefficients of thermal and moisture expansion on delamination is studied. Engineering theories are compared to finite element and experimental results. It is shown that the mismatch in coefficients of mutual influence can have a strong influence on delamination with fiber angles in the 10-15 degree range being critical for adjacent layer combinations. The mismatch in coefficient of mutual influence is reduced by a factor of two and the interlaminar shear stress is reduced significantly when the + or - adjacent layers are interspersed between 0 and 90 degree layers. It is shown how the results can be used for design of composite laminates.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Buckling of composite cylinders under combined compression and torsion Theoretical/experimental correlation

Elastic buckling loads for laminated composite circular cylindrical shells under combined axial compression and torsion are plotted on a dimensionless load plane and determined experimentally from boron/epoxy and graphite/epoxy specimens with symmetric and asymmetric layups. Good correlation is achieved between the theoretical and experimental interaction curves. The theoretical buckling loads are obtained from Fluegge's cylindrical shell equations and for pure torsion there is good correlation, but for the pure axial compression the correlation is rather poor.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Influence of stress interaction on the behavior of off-axis unidirectional composites

The yield function for plane stress of a transversely isotropic composite lamina consisting of stiff, linearly elastic fibers and a von Mises matrix material is formulated in terms of Hill's elastic stress concentration factors and a single plastic constraint parameter. The above are subsequently evaluated on the basis of observed average lamina and constituent response for the Avco 5505 boron epoxy system. It is shown that inclusion of residual stresses in the yield function together with the incorporation of Dubey and Hillier's concept of generalized yield stress for anisotropic media in the constitutive equation correctly predicts the trends observed in experiments. The incorporation of the strong axial stress interaction necessary to predict the correct trends in the shear response is directly traced to the high residual axial stresses in the matrix induced during fabrication of the composite.

Pindera, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Thermal expansion of composites using Moire interferometry

An experimental technique for precise measurement of the thermal response of fiber-reinforced composite materials uses moire interferometry with fringe multiplication which yield a sensitivity of 833 nm (32.8 mu in.) per fringe. Results from the technique are compared with those obtained from electrical resistance strain gages, and also those predicted from classical lamination theory. Temperature dependent coefficients of thermal expansion for composite materials subjected to thermal cycling in the temperature range of 297 K (75 F) to 422 K (300 F) were determined for four laminate configurations (0, 90, 0/ + or - 45/90 sub s and 0/90/ + or - 45 sub s) of T300/5208 graphite epoxy, and ranged from -0.107 mu epsilon K/1 (-0.059 mu epsilon deg F/-) for the 0 laminate to 32.18 mu epsilon K/1 (17.88 mu epsilon F/1) for the 90 laminate. Moisture was found to greatly influence the thermal response of a quasi-isotropic laminate, resulting in hysteresis and residual compressive strain as the moisture content was reduced. Comparisons between moire and strain gage measurements were inconclusive with both techniques giving consistent but systematically different results. Differences of as much as 29% were observed.

Bowles, D. E.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Finite element stress analysis of a notched coupon specimen for in-plane shear behaviour of composites

The results of a linear elastic, plane stress finite element investigation of the stress distribution in a double V-notched coupon specimen are presented for an isotropic material (steel) and five graphite/polyimide laminates: (0), (90), (0/90)s, (plus or minus 45)s and (0/90/plus or minus 45)s. Stress contours, stress profiles, and stress concentration factors are presented for specimens loaded through rigid fixtures. It is shown that the finite element analysis predicts a region of essentially uniform pure shear in the central portion of the specimen for all laminates considered. Stress concentrations vary considerably with laminate configuration. The influences of elastic fixtures and thermal stresses on the stress distribution in (0) laminates are also investigated. The (0) laminate is predicted to exhibit maximum pure shear in the center of the test section for both rigid and elastic fixtures. It is concluded that the specimen is a practicable candidate for use as a composite shear specimen.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Composite materials research and education program: The NASA-Virginia Tech composites program

Major areas of study include: (1) edge effects in finite width laminated composites subjected to mechanical, thermal and hygroscopic loading with temperature dependent material properties and the influence of edge effects on the initiation of failure; (2) shear and compression testing of composite materials at room and elevated temperatures; (3) optical techniques for precise measurement of coefficients of thermal expansion of composites; (4) models for the nonlinear behavior of composites including material nonlinearity and damage accumulation and verification of the models under biaxial loading; (5) compressive failure of graphite/epoxy plates with circular holes and the buckling of composite cylinders under combined compression and torsion; (6) nonlinear mechanical properties of borsic/aluminum, graphite/polyimide and boron/aluminum; (7) the strength characteristics of spliced sandwich panels; and (8) curved graphite/epoxy panels subjected to internal pressure.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1980

On failure modes in finite width angle ply laminates

The results of a failure analysis of finite width (+ or - theta)s T300/5208 graphite-epoxy laminates subjected to thermal curing loads and applied tensile strain are presented. Stress distributions obtained from linear elastic and linear thermoelastic finite element stress analyses are used in conjunction with the tensor polynomial failure criterion to predict the mode and location of first failure in laminates with fiber angles ranging from five to seventy-five degrees. It is shown that the mode of failure is predominantly interlaminar shear for small fiber angles, shifts to combined interlaminar normal, in-plane shear and in-plane normal for intermediate angles, and is primarily transverse tension for large fiber angles. The location of initial failure shifts from the (+ or - theta)s interface for small fiber angles to the midplane for large fiber angles.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Nonlinear temperature dependent failure analysis of finite width composite laminates

A quasi-three dimensional, nonlinear elastic finite element stress analysis of finite width composite laminates including curing stresses is presented. Cross-ply, angle-ply, and two quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy laminates are studied. Curing stresses are calculated using temperature dependent elastic properties that are input as percent retention curves, and stresses due to mechanical loading in the form of an axial strain are calculated using tangent modulii obtained by Ramberg-Osgood parameters. It is shown that curing stresses and stresses due to tensile loading are significant as edge effects in all types of laminate studies. The tensor polynomial failure criterion is used to predict the initiation of failure. The mode of failure is predicted by examining individual stress contributions to the tensor polynomial.

Nagarkar, A. P.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Transverse microcracking in Celion 6000/PMR-15 graphite-polyimide

The effects of room temperature tensile loading and five thermal loadings, in the range -320 F (-196C) to 625F (330CC), upon the development of transverse microcracks (TVM) in Celion 6000/PMR-15 graphite-polyimide laminates were investigated. Microcracks were observed using a replicating technique, microscopy and X-ray. The mechanical or thermal load at which microcracking initiates and the ply residual stresses were predicted using laminate analysis with stress- and temperature-dependent material properties.

Mills, J. S.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Failure analysis of composite laminates with free edges

Linear elastic stress distributions obtained from a refined finite element mesh are used in conjunction with the tensor polynomial failure criterion to predict the initiation of failure in symmetric, finite-width graphite-epoxy laminates under tensile loading. Results are presented for a wide variety of laminates including: (+ and - theta)s angle-ply; cross-ply (0/90)s and (90/0)s; and quasi-isotropic (90/0/+ and - 45)s and (+ and -45/0/90)s. It is shown that the elastic stress distributions generally compare favorably with other published results, but also indicate improved satisfaction of the stress-free boundary conditions and indicate some differences in the singular behavior of selected stress components at the free edge. The tensor polynomial failure criterion is used to predict the location and mode of first failure. Examination of the individual terms of the polynomial indicates different modes of failure depending upon the laminate configuration.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1978

An evaluation of the sandwich beam in four-point bending as a compressive test method for composites

The experimental phase of the study included compressive tests on HTS/PMR-15 graphite/polyimide, 2024-T3 aluminum alloy, and 5052 aluminum honeycomb at room temperature, and tensile tests on graphite/polyimide at room temperature, -157 C, and 316 C. Elastic properties and strength data are presented for three laminates. The room temperature elastic properties were generally found to differ in tension and compression with Young's modulus values differing by as much as twenty-six percent. The effect of temperature on modulus and strength was shown to be laminate dependent. A three-dimensional finite element analysis predicted an essentially uniform, uniaxial compressive stress state in the top flange test section of the sandwich beam. In conclusion, the sandwich beam can be used to obtain accurate, reliable Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio data for advanced composites; however, the ultimate compressive stress for some laminates may be influenced by the specimen geometry.

Shuart, M. J.↗

NASA NTRS1978

On Poisson's ratio for metal matrix composite laminates

The definition of Poisson's ratio for nonlinear behavior of metal matrix composite laminates is discussed and experimental results for tensile and compressive loading of five different boron-aluminum laminates are presented. It is shown that there may be considerable difference in the value of Poisson's ratio as defined by a total strain or an incremental strain definition. It is argued that the incremental definition is more appropriate for nonlinear material behavior. Results from a (0) laminate indicate that the incremental definition provides a precursor to failure which is not evident if the total strain definition is used.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Theoretical-experimental correlation for buckling of composite cylinders under combined compression and torsion

Comparison between theory and experiment for buckling of laminated graphite-epoxy and boron-epoxy cylinders under combined compression and torsion are presented. The experimental results are compared to a theory by Wu. It is shown that there is excellent agreement between theory and experiment for pure torsional loading (positive and negative), experimental buckling loads for pure compression are well below the predicted values, and good correlation is exhibited between theory and experiment for buckling under combined loading when compared in the form of normalized buckling interaction diagrams in axial-torsional load space.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Tensile and compressive stress-strain behavior of heat treated boron-aluminum

An experimental study was conducted to assess the effects of heat treatment and cyclic mechanical loading on the tensile and compressive stress-strain behavior of six boron-aluminum composites having different laminate orientations and being subjected to different heat treatments. The heat treatments were as-fabricated, T6, and T6N consisting of T6 treatment followed by cryogenic quench in liquid nitrogen prior to testing. All laminates were tested in monotonic and cyclic compression, while the tensile-test data are taken from the literature for comparison purposes. It is shown that the linear elastic range of the T6- and T6N-condition specimens is larger than that of the as-fabricated specimens, and that cyclic loading in tension or compression strain hardens the specimens and extends the linear elastic range. For laminates containing 0-deg plies, the stress-strain behavior upon unloading is found to be nonlinear, whereas the other laminates exhibit a linear behavior upon unloading. Specimens in the T6 and T6N conditions show higher strain hardening than the as-fabricated specimens.

Kennedy, J. M.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Finite element stress analysis of idealized composite damage zones

A quasi three dimensional finite element stress analysis of idealized damage zones in composite laminates is presented. The damage zones consist of a long centered groove or cutout extending one or two layers in depth from both top and bottom surfaces of a thin composite laminate. Elastic results are presented for compressive loading of four and eight layer laminates. It is shown that a boundary layer exists near the cutout edge similar to that previously shown to exist along free edges. The cutout is shown to produce significant interlaminar stresses in the interior of the laminate away from free cutout edges. The interlaminar stresses are also shown to contribute to failure which is defined using the Tsai-Wu failure criteria.

Obrien, D.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Effect of cyclic loading and temper condition on the tensile behavior of boron-aluminum

Experimental results from monotonic and cyclic tension tests on six different 6061 boron-aluminum laminates show that the strength of fiber dominated laminates is decreased and the strength of matrix dominated laminates is increased by T6 heat treatment. Cyrogenic exposure and cyclic loading are shown to have little influence on strength. Cyclic loading is also shown to produce small reductions in modulus for some laminates and some temper conditions. The results are discussed in light of expected metallurgical and residual stress changes due to temperature excursions and loading cycles.

Herakovich, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Influence of two-dimensional hygrothermal gradients on interlaminar stresses near free edges

Interlaminar stresses are determined for mechanical loading, uniform hygrothermal loading, and gradient moisture loading through implementation of a finite-element computer code. Nonuniform two-dimensional hygroscopic gradients are obtained from a finite-difference solution of the diffusion equation. It is shown that hygroscopic-induced stresses can be larger than those resulting from mechanical and thermal loading, and that the distribution of the interlaminar normal stress may be changed significantly in the presence of a two-dimensional moisture gradient in the boundary layer of a composite laminate.

Farley, G. L.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Influence of residual stresses on the tensile strength of composite-metal sandwich laminates

The tensile strength of boron-epoxy/aluminum sandwich laminates is discussed relative to the residual thermal stresses generated by curing and bonding at elevated temperatures. It is shown that the sandwich laminates investigated exhibit three dinstinct modes of failure, depending upon the fiber orientation of the composite. Sandwich laminates with moderate to high percentage of 0-deg fibers exhibit early failures initiated by edge effect; laminates with moderate to high percentage of 90-deg fibers fail according to a first-ply failure criterion; laminates with moderate to high percentages of plus or minus 45 deg plies fail at strains equal to or greater than the failure strain of the corresponding all-composite laminate.

Herakovich, C. T.↗