PROBABILISTIC FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF ASTM D6641 COMPRESSION TEST FOR MARINE GRADE POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES

摘要

The variability of compressive mechanical properties of a polymer matrix composite materialrnwith woven fabric reinforcement is studied using both experimental work and numericalrnsimulations. Four E-glass/vinyl ester composite plates were fabricated using the Vacuum-rnAssisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) by a US Navy contractor. The materials and processrnselected are representative of Marine grade composites typically used by the US Navy. StandardrnASTM D6641 coupons were obtained from the plates and the laboratory results were comparedrnwith those of a 3D probabilistic finite element analysis (FEA). In the probabilistic FEA model,rnelastic properties, strength parameters and geometric properties of the woven fabric E-glass/vinylrnester coupons were considered as random fields, and generated using Monte Carlo simulations.rnThe study evaluates the effects of spatial correlation, finite element size, probability distributionrnfunctions (PDF) types and failure criteria on statistical strength properties of the [0/90]_(2sf)rncompression coupons. Comparisons of experimental and probabilistic FEA results provide usefulrninformation on how to assign mean, COV and PDF of material properties to individual finiternelements within a mesh. The results are relevant in selecting proper test methods and developingrndesign properties for these composites.