Micromechanics Modeling of Time-dependent Failure of Stowed High-strain Composite Structures

Abstract

Deployable structures made of thin-ply carbon fiber-reinforced composites are of interest due to their high stiffness to weight ratio, high packaging efficiency, and ability to deploy by the release of stored strain energy. For most applications, the largest strains are applied for the longest time during stowage, and viscoelastic polymers in these fiber-reinforced composites are prone to time-dependent deformation growth and rupture. This paper presents a study of the time-dependent deformation growth and time-dependent failure mechanisms using a micromechanics-based 3D finite element model representation of the composite. The study is focused on a repeating unit cell of a cross-ply carbon fiber laminate consisting of linear-elastic transversely isotropic fibers embedded in a linear viscoelastic matrix. A parametric study of initial fiber misalignment angle and its influence on the deformation growth and time to rupture is presented.

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