Fatigue Delamination Crack Growth in GFRP Composite Laminates: Mathematical Modelling and FE Simulation

Abstract

Glass fibre-reinforced plastic (GFRP) composite laminates are used in many industries due to their excellent mechanical and thermal properties. However, these materials are prone to the initiation and propagation of delamination crack growth between different plies forming the laminate. The crack propagation may ultimately result in the failure of GFRP laminates as structural parts. In this research, a comprehensive mathematical model is presented to study the delamination crack growth in GFRP composite laminates under fatigue loading. A classical static damage model proposed by Allix and Ladevèze is modified as a fatigue damage model. Subsequently, the model is implemented in commercial finite element software via UMAT subroutine. The results obtained by the finite element simulations verify the experimental findings of Kenane and Benzeggagh for the fatigue crack growth in GFRP composite laminates.

Failure Analysis of the Pin Bore of the Combined Piston for the Aero Engine

“…The internal structure of the combined piston is different from the integral piston, and the stress and deformation of both pistons are different under the same conditions [12]. Ijaz et al has researched a comprehensive delamination crack growth mathematical model under fatigue loading, but it is suitable glass fibre-reinforced plastic composite laminates [13]. Yu et al has researched that the appearance of longitudinal inclusion clusters of excess size in the crack origin zone is mainly responsible for the failure of the piston pin and improvement of steel purity is suggested to prevent future piston pin failures [14].…”