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types of analysis in
composite materials
» LAMINATE PROPERTIES
>>> BEHAVIOUR UNDER LOADS
(strains, stresses, curvature, failure mode…)
Polymer composites are usually
laminated from several individual layers of
material. Layers can be ‘different’ in the
sense of:
Eckold (1994)
E2 fibre
direction
E1
0o
We could remove the in-plane
anisotropy by constructing a ‘cross-ply’
laminate, with UD plies oriented at 0
and 90o. Now E1 = E2.
But under the action of an in-plane
load, the strain in the relatively stiff 0o
layer is less than that in the 90o layer.
Thermal and
moisture effects also
result in coupling in
certain laminates -
consider the familiar
bi-metallic strip:
A single ‘angle-ply’ UD lamina (ie fibre
orientation q 0o or 90o) will shear
under direct stress:
q
In a 2-ply laminate (q, -q), the shear
deformations cancel out, but result in
tension-twist coupling:
To avoid coupling effects, the cross-ply
laminate must be symmetric - each ply must
be mirrored (in terms of thickness and
orientation) about the centre.
90o
0/90/90/0 90/0/0/90
[0,90]s [90,0]s
Both these laminates have the same in-
plane stiffness.
0o
90o
0/90/90/0 90/0/0/90
[0,90]s [90,0]s
• The two laminates [0,90]s and [90,0]s
have the same in-plane stiffness, but
different flexural stiffnesses
• Ply orientations determine in-plane
properties.
• Stacking sequence determines flexural
properties.
• The [0,90]s laminate becomes [90,0]s if
rotated. So this cross-ply laminate has
flexural properties which depend on
how the load is applied!
HAWT (2004) VAWT (1987)
• To avoid all coupling effects, a laminate
containing an angle ply must be balanced
as well as symmetric - for every ply at angle
q, the laminate must contain another at -q.
• Balance and symmetry are not the same:
proportion of
plies at 0o
proportion of
plies at 45o
UD (90o)
Carpet plot for tensile modulus of laminate
glass/epoxy laminate
0/90 (cross-ply)
E = 29 GPa
0/90/±45 (quasi-isotropic)
E = 22 GPa
Classical Plate Analysis
• Plane stress (through-thickness and
interlaminar shear ignored).
• ‘Thin’ laminates; ‘small’ out-of plane
deflections
• Plate loading described by equivalent
force and moment resultants.
h/ 2
Nx
h/ 2
σ(z).dz Mx σ(z).z .dz
h/ 2 h/ 2
[ ( z)] [ ] z[ k ]
o
Giving:
h/2 h/2 h/2 h/2
[N ] [Q ][ o
]dz [Q ][k ] zdz [Q ][ o
] dz [Q][k ] zdz
h / 2 h / 2 h / 2 h / 2
h/2 h/2
j 1
hj 1 hj 1
Classical Laminate Analysis
[ N ] [ A][B] [ ]
o
.
[ M ] [ B][D] [k ]
.
[k ] [c][d ] [ M ]
where:
1
[ A][B] [a][b]
[ B][D] [c][d ]
Effective Elastic Properties of the
Laminate (thickness h)
1 1 1 a21 a12
Ex ; Ey ; G xy ;n xy ;n yx
ha11 ha22 ha33 a11 a22
h d11 h d 22
1 1
( EI ) x ; ( EI ) y
d11 d 22
Classical Laminate Analysis - assumptions
1 Layers in the laminate are perfectly bonded to each
other – strain is continuous at the interface between
plies.
2 The laminate is thin, and is in a state of plane stress.
This means that there can be no interlaminar shear or
through-thickness stresses (tyz = tzx = sz = 0).
3 Each ply of the laminate is assumed to be
homogeneous, with orthotropic properties.
4 Displacements are small compared to the thickness of
the laminate.
5 The constituent materials have linear elastic properties.
6 The strain associated with bending is proportional to the
distance from the neutral axis.
Steps in Classical Laminate Analysis
1. Define the laminate – number of layers, thickness, elastic
and strength properties and orientation of each layer.
2. Define the applied loads – any combination of force and
moment resultants.
3. Calculate terms in the constitutive equation matrices [A], [B] and [D].
4. Invert the property matrices – [a] = [A]-1, etc.
5. Calculate effective engineering properties.
6. Calculate mid-plane strains and curvatures.
7. Calculate strains in each layer.
8. Calculate stresses in each layer from strains, moments
and elastic properties.
9. Evaluate stresses and/or strains against failure criteria.
Use of LAP software to
calculate effect of cooling
from cure temperature
(non-symmetric laminate).