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At least 109 records · Page 6

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NASA NTRS1993

Analysis of delamination in cross-ply laminates initiating from impact induced matrix cracking

Two-dimensional finite element analyses of (02/90(8)/02) glass/epoxy and graphite/epoxy composite laminates were performed to investigate some of the characteristics of damage development due to an impact load. A cross section through the thickness of the laminate with fixed ends, and carrying a transverse load in the center, was analyzed. Inclined matrix cracks, such as those produced by a low-velocity impact, were modeled in the 90 deg ply group. The introduction of the matrix cracks caused large interlaminar tensile and shear stresses in the vicinity of both crack tips in the 0/90 and 90/0 interfaces, indicating that matrix cracking may give rise to delamination. The ratio of Mode I to total strain energy release rate, G(I)/G(total), at the beginning of delamination, calculated at the two (top and bottom) matrix crack tips was 60 and 28 percent, respectively, in the glass/epoxy laminate. The corresponding ratio was 97 and 77 percent in the graphite/epoxy laminate. Thus, a significant Mode I component of strain energy release rate may be present at the delamination initiation due to an impact load. The value of strain energy release rate at either crack tip increased due to an increase in the delamination length at the other crack tip and may give rise to an unstable delamination growth under constant load.

Salpekar, S. A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Residual thermal and moisture influences on the analysis of local delaminations

An analysis using laminated plate theory is developed to calculate the strain energy release rate associated with local delaminations originating at off-axis, angle-ply, matrix cracks in laminates subjected to uniaxial loads. The analysis includes the contribution of residual thermal and moisture stresses to the strain energy released. Examples are calculated for the strain energy release rate associated with local delaminations originating at 90 deg and angle-ply(non 90 deg) matrix-ply cracks in glass-epoxy and graphite-epoxy laminates. The solution developed may be used to assess the relative contribution of mechanical, residual thermal, and moisture stresses on the strain energy release rate for local delamination for a variety of lay-ups and materials.

O'Brien, T. K.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Dynamic delamination fracture toughness of a graphite/epoxy laminate under impact

Dynamic delamination fracture toughness in a (90/0)5s T300/934 graphite/epoxy laminate was investigated using impact loading. Delamination cracks of three different sizes were embedded at the midplane of the composite specimen. The threshold impact velocity that causes propagation of the delamination crack was used in the dynamic analysis with the finite element method. From the finite element solution, the time-history of the strain energy release rate was calculated. The critical strain energy release rate was taken to equal the maximum value of the response history.

Sun, C. T.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Sublaminate analysis of interlaminar fracture in composites. II - Applications

A validation of the sublaminate analysis method of Armanios and Rehfield (1989) is provided by comparison of the predictions with a quasi-three-dimensional finite-element analysis. A comparison of the total strain-energy release rate with a classical plate model is also provided. Closed-form expressions for the total strain-energy rate and the strain-energy release-rate components are developed. The sublaminate analysis developed is simple, and the results are generated using a desktop computer.

Armanios, Erian A.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Delamination micromechanics analysis

A three-dimensional finite element analysis was developed which includes elastoplastic, orthotropic material response, and fracture initiation and propagation. Energy absorption due to physical failure processes characteristic of the heterogeneous and anisotropic nature of composite materials is modeled. A local energy release rate in the presence of plasticity was defined and used as a criterion to predict the onset and growth of cracks in both micromechanics and macromechanics analyses. This crack growth simulation technique is based upon a virtual crack extension method. A three-dimensional finite element micromechanics model is used to study the effects of broken fibers, cracked matrix and fiber-matrix debond on the fracture toughness of the unidirectional composite. The energy release rates at the onset of unstable crack growth in the micromechanics analyses are used as critical energy release rates in the macromechanics analysis. This integrated micromechanical and macromechanical fracture criterion is shown to be very effective in predicting the onset and growth of cracks in general multilayered composite laminates by applying the criterion to a single-edge notched graphite/epoxy laminate subjected to implane tension normal to the notch.

Adams, D. F.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Characterization of Mode I and mixed-mode delamination growth in T300/5208 graphite/epoxy

The roles played by Mode I and Mode II strain-energy release rates (G-I and G-II, respectively) in inducing delamination growth under static and fatigue loading were investigated, using T300/5208 graphite/epoxy specimens. Double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens and cracked lap shear (CLS) specimens were used for pure Mode I and mixed-mode tests, respectively. Fatigue-induced delamination growth was characterized by constant-amplitude fatigue tests at a minimum to maximum cyclic load ratio of 0.05 and a frequency of 10 Hz. During the tests, the maximum and minimum strain-energy release rates (Gmax, Gmin) and the delamination growth rate (da/dN) were monitored. Static tests on mixed-mode CLS specimens measured the total strain-energy release rate, which was broken into G-I and G-II components using finite-element analysis. A power-law relationship between da/dN and G-Imax, and da/dN and Gmax were obtained from fatigue test results on DCB and CLS specimens, respectively. The power law for a pure Mode II delamination was derived from CLS results by subtracting the contribution due to G-I.

Ramkumar, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1983

A fracture mechanics approach for designing adhesively bonded joints

An analytical and experimental investigation was undertaken to determine if the adhesive debond initiation stress could be predicted for arbitrary joint geometries. The analysis was based upon a threshold total strain-energy-release rate (Gth) concept. Two bonded systems were tested: T300/5208 graphite/epoxy adherends bonded with either EC-3445 or FM-300 adhesive. The Gth for each adhesive was determined from cracked-lap-shear (CLS) specimens by initiation tests. Finite-element analyses of various tapered CLS specimen geometries predicted the specimen stress at which the total strain-energy-release rate (GT) equaled Gth at the joint tip. Experiments verified the predictions. The approach described herein predicts the maximum stress at which an adhesive joint can be cycled yet not debond. Furthermore, total strain-energy-release rate appeared to be the driving parameter for cyclic debonding and debond initiation in structural adhesives. In addition, debond initiation and growth were found to occur with virtually no peel stress present.

Johnson, W. S.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A fracture mechanics approach for designing adhesively bonded joints

Johnson, W. S.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Debond Analyses for Stitched Composite Structures

The effect of stitching on mode I and mode II strain energy release rates for debond configurations is studied using an analysis based on plate finite elements and the virtual crack closure technique. The stitches were modeled as discrete nonlinear fastener elements with a compliance determined by experiment. The axial and shear behavior of the stitches was considered with both the compliances and failure loads assumed to be independent. The mode I strain energy release rate, G(sub I), was shown to decrease once the debond had grown beyond the first row of stitches and was reduced to zero for long debonds, however, the mode II strain energy release rate, G(sub II), continued to be of significant magnitude over the range of debond lengths considered.

Glaessgen, E. H.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Safer Aviation Materials Tested

A series of thermally stable polymer samples were tested. These materials are called low heat release materials and are designed for aircraft interior decorative materials. The materials are designed to give off a minimum amount of noxious gases when heated, which increases the possibility that people can escape from a burning aircraft. New cabin materials have suitably low heat release so that fire does not spread, toxic chemicals are not given off, and the fire-emergency escape time for crew and passengers is lengthened. These low heat-release materials have a variety of advantages and applications: interiors for ground-based facilities, interiors of space vehicles, and many commercial fire-protection environments. A microscale combustion calorimeter at the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Technical Center tested NASA Langley Research Center materials samples. The calorimeter is shown. A sharp, quantitative, and reproducible heat-release-rate peak is obtained in the microscale heat-release-rate test. The newly tested NASA materials significantly reduced the heat release capacity and total heat release. The thermal stability and flammability behavior of the samples was very good. The new materials demonstrated a factor of 4 reduction in total heat release over ULTEM (a currently used material). This information is provided in the following barchart. In other tests, the materials showed greater than a factor 9 reduction in heat-release capacity over ULTEM. The newly tested materials were developed for low dielectric constant, low color, and good solubility. A scale up of the material samples is needed to determine the repeatability of the performance in larger samples. Larger panels composed of the best candidate materials will be tested in a larger scale FAA Technical Center fire facility. The NASA Glenn Research Center, Langley (Jeff Hinkley), and the FAA Technical Center (Richard Lyon) cooperatively tested these materials for the Accident Mitigation aspects of Fire Prevention under NASA's Aviation Safety Program.

Palaszewski, Bryan A.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Control of Combustion-Instabilities Through Various Passive Devices

It is well known that under some operating conditions, rocket engines (using solid or liquid fuels) exhibit unstable modes of operation that can lead to engine malfunction and shutdown. The sources of these instabilities are diverse and are dependent on fuel, chamber geometry and various upstream sources such as pumps, valves and injection mechanism. It is believed that combustion-acoustic instabilities occur when the acoustic energy increase due to the unsteady heat release of the flame is greater than the losses of acoustic energy from the system [1, 2]. Giammar and Putnam [3] performed a comprehensive study of noise generated by gasfired industrial burners and made several key observations; flow noise was sometimes more intense than combustion roar, which tended to have a characteristic frequency spectrum. Turbulence was amplified by the flame. The noise power varied directly with combustion intensity and also with the product of pressure drop and heat release rate. Karchmer [4] correlated the noise emitted from a turbofan jet engine with that in the combustion chamber. This is important, since it quantified how much of the noise from an engine originates in the combustor. A physical interpretation of the interchange of energy between sound waves and unsteady heat release rates was given by Rayleigh [5] for inviscid, linear perturbations. Bloxidge et al [6] extended Rayleigh s criterion to describe the interaction of unsteady combustion with one-dimensional acoustic waves in a duct. Solutions to the mass, momentum and energy conservation equations in the pre- and post-flame zones were matched by making several assumptions about the combustion process. They concluded that changes in boundary conditions affect the energy balance of acoustic waves in the combustor. Abouseif et al [7] also solved the one-dimensional flow equations, but they used a onestep reaction to evaluate the unsteady heat release rate by relating it to temperature and velocity perturbations. Their analysis showed that oscillations arise from coupling between entropy waves produced at the flame and pressure waves originating from the nozzle. Yang and Culick [8] assumed a thin flame sheet, which is distorted by velocity and pressure oscillations. Conservation equations were expressed in integral form and solutions for the acoustic wave equations and complex frequencies were obtained. The imaginary part of the frequency indicated stability regions of the flame. Activation energy asymptotics together with a one-step reaction were used by McIntosh [9] to study the effects of acoustic forcing and feedback on unsteady, one-dimensional flames. He found that the flame stability was altered by the upstream acoustic feedback. Shyy et al [10] used a high-accuracy TVD scheme to simulate unsteady, one-dimensional longitudinal, combustion instabilities. However, numerical diffusion was not completely eliminated. Recently, Prasad [11] investigated numerically the interactions of pressure perturbations with premixed flames. He used complex chemistry to study responses of pressure perturbations in one-dimensional combustors. His results indicated that reflected and transmitted waves differed significantly from incident waves.

Frendi, Kader↗

NASA NTRS2015

Quantitative Measurements of CH* Concentration in Normal Gravity and Microgravity Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames

With the conclusion of the SLICE campaign aboard the ISS in 2012, a large amount of data was made available for the analysis of the effect of microgravity on laminar coflow diffusion flames. Previous work focused on the study of sooty flames in microgravity as well as the ability of numerical models to predict its formation in a simplified buoyancy-free environment. The current work shifts the investigation to soot-free flames, putting an emphasis on the chemiluminescence emission from electronically excited CH (CH*). This radical species is of significant interest in combustion studies: it has been shown that the CH* spatial distribution is indicative of the flame front position and, given the relatively simple diagnostic involved with its measurement, several works have been done trying to understand the ability of CH* chemiluminescence to predict the total and local flame heat release rate. In this work, a subset of the SLICE nitrogen-diluted methane flames has been considered, and the effect of fuel and coflow velocity on CH* concentration is discussed and compared with both normal gravity results and numerical simulations. Experimentally, the spectral characterization of the DSLR color camera used to acquire the flame images allowed the signal collected by the blue channel to be considered representative of the CH* emission centered around 431 nm. Due to the axisymmetric flame structure, an Abel deconvolution of the line-of-sight chemiluminescence was used to obtain the radial intensity profile and, thanks to an absolute light intensity calibration, a quantification of the CH* concentration was possible. Results show that, in microgravity, the maximum flame CH* concentration increases with the coflow velocity, but it is weakly dependent on the fuel velocity; normal gravity flames, if not lifted, tend to follow the same trend, albeit with different peak concentrations. Comparisons with numerical simulations display reasonably good agreement between measured and computed flame lengths and radii, and it is shown that the integrated CH* emission scales proportionally to the computed total heat release rate; the two-dimensional CH* spatial distribution, however, does not appear to be a good marker for the local heat release rate.

microgravity↗

NASA NTRS2015

Quantitative Measurements of Electronically Excited CH Concentration in Normal Gravity and Microgravity Coflow Laminar Diffusion Flames

With the conclusion of the SLICE campaign aboard the ISS in 2012, a large amount of data was made available for the analysis of the effect of microgravity on laminar coflow diffusion flames. Previous work focused on the study of sooty flames in microgravity as well as the ability of numerical models to predict its formation in a simplified buoyancy-free environment. The current work shifts the investigation to soot-free flames, putting an emphasis on the chemiluminescence emission from electronically excited CH (CH*). This radical species is of significant interest in combustion studies: it has been shown that the electronically excited CH spatial distribution is indicative of the flame front position and, given the relatively simple diagnostic involved with its measurement, several works have been done trying to understand the ability of electronically excited CH chemiluminescence to predict the total and local flame heat release rate. In this work, a subset of the SLICE nitrogen-diluted methane flames has been considered, and the effect of fuel and coflow velocity on electronically excited CH concentration is discussed and compared with both normal gravity results and numerical simulations. Experimentally, the spectral characterization of the DSLR color camera used to acquire the flame images allowed the signal collected by the blue channel to be considered representative of the electronically excited CH emission centered around 431 nm. Due to the axisymmetric flame structure, an Abel deconvolution of the line-of-sight chemiluminescence was used to obtain the radial intensity profile and, thanks to an absolute light intensity calibration, a quantification of the electronically excited CH concentration was possible. Results show that, in microgravity, the maximum flame electronically excited CH concentration increases with the coflow velocity, but it is weakly dependent on the fuel velocity; normal gravity flames, if not lifted, tend to follow the same trend, albeit with different peak concentrations. Comparisons with numerical simulations display reasonably good agreement between measured and computed flame lengths and radii, and it is shown that the integrated electronically excited CH emission scales proportionally to the computed total heat release rate; the two-dimensional electronically excited CH spatial distribution, however, does not appear to be a good marker for the local heat release rate.

chemiluminescence↗

NASA NTRS2004

Testing and Life Prediction for Composite Rotor Hub Flexbeams

A summary of several studies of delamination in tapered composite laminates with internal ply-drops is presented. Initial studies used 2D FE models to calculate interlaminar stresses at the ply-ending locations in linear tapered laminates under tension loading. Strain energy release rates for delamination in these laminates indicated that delamination would likely start at the juncture of the tapered and thin regions and grow unstably in both directions. Tests of glass/epoxy and graphite/epoxy linear tapered laminates under axial tension delaminated as predicted. Nonlinear tapered specimens were cut from a full-size helicopter rotor hub and were tested under combined constant axial tension and cyclic transverse bending loading to simulate the loading experienced by a rotorhub flexbeam in flight. For all the tested specimens, delamination began at the tip of the outermost dropped ply group and grew first toward the tapered region. A 2D FE model was created that duplicated the test flexbeam layup, geometry, and loading. Surface strains calculated by the model agreed very closely with the measured surface strains in the specimens. The delamination patterns observed in the tests were simulated in the model by releasing pairs of MPCs along those interfaces. Strain energy release rates associated with the delamination growth were calculated for several configurations and using two different FE analysis codes. Calculations from the codes agreed very closely. The strain energy release rate results were used with material characterization data to predict fatigue delamination onset lives for nonlinear tapered flexbeams with two different ply-dropping schemes. The predicted curves agreed well with the test data for each case studied.

Murri, Gretchen B.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Comparison of full 3-D, thin-film 3-D, and thin-film plate analyses of a postbuckled embedded delamination

Strain-energy release rates are often used to predict when delamination growth will occur in laminates under compression. Because of the inherently high computational cost of performing such analyses, less rigorous analyses such as thin-film plate analysis were used. The assumptions imposed by plate theory restrict the analysis to the calculation of total strain energy, G(sub t). The objective is to determine the accuracy of thin-film plate analysis by comparing the distribution of G(sub t) calculated using fully three dimensional (3D), thin-film 3D, and thin-film plate analyses. Thin-film 3D analysis is the same as thin-film plate analysis, except 3D analysis is used to model the sublaminate. The 3D stress analyses were performed using the finite element program NONLIN3D. The plate analysis results were obtained from published data, which used STAGS. Strain-energy release rates were calculated using variations of the virtual crack closure technique. The results demonstrate that thin-film plate analysis can predict the distribution of G(sub t) quite well, at least for the configurations considered. Also, these results verify the accuracy of the strain-energy release rate procedure for plate analysis.

Whitcomb, John D.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Cyclic debonding of unidirectional composite bonded to aluminum sheet for constant-amplitude loading

Cyclic debonding rates were measured during constant-amplitude loading of specimens made of graphite/epoxy bonded to aluminum and S-glass/epoxy bonded to aluminum. Both room-temperature and elevated-temperature curing adhesives were used. Debonding was monitored with a photoelastic coating technique. The debonding rates were compared with three expressions for strain-energy release rate calculated in terms of the maximum stress, stress range, or a combination of the two. The debonding rates were influenced by both adherent thickness and the cyclic stress ratio. For a given value of maximum stress, lower stress ratios and thicker specimens produced faster debonding. Microscopic examination of the debonded surfaces showed different failure mechanisms both for identical adherends bonded with different adhesive and, indeed, even for different adherends bonded with identical adhesives. The expressions for strain-energy release rate correlated the data for different specimen thicknesses and stress ratios quite well for each material system, but the form of the best correlating expression varied among material systems. Empirical correlating expressions applicable to one material system may not be appropriate for another system.

Roderick, G. L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Analysis of mixed-mode crack propagation using the boundary integral method

Crack propagation in a rotating inner raceway of a high speed roller bearing is analyzed using the boundary integral equation method. The method consists of an edge crack in a plate under tension, upon which varying Hertzian stress fields are superimposed. A computer program for the boundary integral equation method was written using quadratic elements to determine the stress and displacement fields for discrete roller positions. Mode I and Mode II stress intensity factors and crack extension forces G sub 00 (energy release rate due to tensile opening mode) and G sub r0 (energy release rate due to shear displacement mode) were computed. These calculations permit determination of that crack growth angle for which the change in the crack extension forces is maximum. The crack driving force was found to be the alternating mixed-mode loading that occurs with each passage of the most heavily loaded roller. The crack is predicted to propagate in a step-like fashion alternating between radial and inclined segments, and this pattern was observed experimentally. The maximum changes DeltaG sub 00 and DeltaG sub r0 of the crack extension forces are found to be good measures of the crack propagation rate and direction.

Mendelson, A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Thermal properties of composites with bismaleimide-vinyl poly(styrylpyridine) blends

Thermal properties, flammability, and selected mechanical properties of eight different graphite composite panels fabricated using four different resin matrices and two types of graphite reinforcement were investigated and compared with the properties of an epoxy composite, MXB 7203. The resin matrices included XU71775/H795, a blend of vinyl poly(styrylpyridine) and bismaleimide; H795, a bismaleimide; Cycom 6162, a phenolic; and PSP 6022M, a poly(styrylpyridine). The graphite fiber was AS-4 used in the form of tape or fabric. It was found that the XU71775/H795 blend with the graphite tape was the optimum design giving the lowest heat release rate, while the control epoxy panel exhibited the highest total heat release and heat release rates, highest smoke and CO evolution, highest mass losses, and lowest oxygen index of all the composites tested.

Kourtides, D. A.↗