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U.S. Department of Energy
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Stochastic delamination growth model for fatigue-loaded laminated composite materials

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:7160733

A stochastic model is presented for the growth of delamination in graphite/epoxy laminated composite materials. The model predicts both the mean and variance in the delamination growth behavior. A strain-energy release-rate-based delamination growth power rule is assumed to describe the mean behavior of the delamination growth process. This assumption facilitates the description of the stochastic model parameters in terms of the maximum fatigue-load amplitude. This allows the model to predict delamination growth at load levels other than those used to correlate the model. The stochastic model is also used to predict the mean and variance in the growth of delamination when the fatigue load amplitude is allowed to vary. It is shown that the cumulative effects of multiple fatigue load amplitudes are simple summation of the constant amplitude effects. An experimental program is conducted to determine the properties of the materials used, estimate the parameters of the model, and verify the predictions of the model.

Research Organization:
Drexel Univ., Philadelphia, PA (USA)
OSTI ID:
7160733
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English