Compression failure of laminated composite cylindrical shells under axial loading

摘要

This paper addresses failure characterisation and prediction for moderately thin-walled carbon fibre/epoxy cylinders subjected to compressive axial loads. Specimens of [0{sub}2/90{sub}2)s configuration failed in a local buckling mode, withvirtually no pre-buckling acoustic activity. In the case of the [90/45/-45/0]as laminates there was moderate acoustic activity at load levels as low as 40% of the final failure load, suggesting that damage was occurring within the laminate well before the final failure in a buckling related mode. The [45/45/45A45]s specimens demonstrated significant acoustic activity from low load levels and failed by material fracture. A finite element analysis based design methodology is presented which considers failure modes such as local buckling, intra-lamina and inter-lamina damage. A key feature of the new methodology is that it recognises the significant effect that geometric imperfections have on the localized laminate stress fields, as well as on local bucklingbehaviour.