Thermal Postbuckling Analysis of 3D Braided Composite Cylindrical Shells

Abstract

Thermal postbuckling analysis is presented for 3D braided composite cylindrical shell of finite length subjected to a uniform temperature rise. Based on a micro-macro-mechanical model, a 3D braided composite may be as a cell system and the geometry of each cell is deeply dependent on its position in the cross-section of the cylindrical shell. The material properties of epoxy are expressed as a linear function of temperature. The governing equations are based on Reddy's higher order shear deformation shell theory with a von Kármán-Donnell-type of kinematic nonlinearity and including thermal effects. A singular perturbation technique is employed to determine the buckling temperatures and postbuckling behaviors of 3D braided composite cylindrical shells. The numerical illustrations concern the postbuckling behavior of perfect and imperfect, braided composite cylindrical shells with different values of geometric parameter and of fiber volume fraction. The results show that the shell has lower buckling temperatures and postbuckling equilibrium paths when the temperature-dependent properties are taken into account. The results reveal that the fiber volume fraction, braiding angle and the shell geometric parameter have a significant effect on the thermal buckling and postbuckling behavior of braided composite cylindrical shells.

A novel shell‐based hierarchical multiscale model for studying three‐dimensional four‐directional braided composite shafts

“…[15][16][17][18] To overcome these limitations, Wang et al 19 proposed a universal 3D braided tubular repeated unit cell (RUC) model through coordinate mapping from the well-developed extant rectangular ones and validated it with micro-CT scan data. Li et al [20][21][22][23][24] divided the unit cell into six subcells with straight yarn segments and identical cell thickness, and Zhang et al 25 expressed the yarn path by polar coordinates in a cylindrical system. They assumed both polar-radial and polar-angular coordinates varied linearly with height coordinate.…”

“…Li et al proposed a multi-scale mechanical model based on a high-order shear deformation shell theory to study the post-buckling of 3D braided composite cylindrical shells under axial compression, 20 torsion, 21 and uniform temperature rise. 22 In their recent works, large amplitude vibration 23 and nonlinear bending 24 behaviors were also investigated. Above all, although these models give insights into understanding the mechanical response of 3D braided tubular composites, the effect of mesoscopic damage of yarns and matrix on the macroscopic mechanical behavior of 3D braided composite shafts has not been considered, to the author's best knowledge.…”

“…For 3D rectangular braided composites, multi‐scale models homogenized from RUCs were well developed to achieve such goals, like those by Hu et al, 30 He et al, 31 and Fang et al 32 However, such models for 3D braided composite shafts have yet to be further studied. Li et al proposed a multi‐scale mechanical model based on a high‐order shear deformation shell theory to study the post‐buckling of 3D braided composite cylindrical shells under axial compression, 20 torsion, 21 and uniform temperature rise 22 . In their recent works, large amplitude vibration 23 and nonlinear bending 24 behaviors were also investigated.…”