Stress and Damage Analysis of Fiber-Reinforced Composite Pipe

Abstract

Composite materials are used in many environments due to their special properties such as high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance and the ability to be tailored to specific requirements. In particular, the use of fiber reinforced composites (FRCs) for pressure vessels/pipes has increased in structural applications such as fuel tanks, pipes, vessels, and rocket motor cases. Assessing failure conditions is important to ensure that these structures do not fail under their operating condition. In this study, an analytical procedure is developed to predict the fatigue behavior of FRC. A numerical model will also be developed and applied to failure analysis under internal pressure loading.