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It is difficult for the existing Burgers model to accurately depict the off-axis cyclic drawing process of woven coatings. In this paper, the mechanical deformation of woven PVC (polyvinyl chloride)-coated film at different temperatures is investigated. One-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) constitutive models were established to characterize cyclic deformation processes. The 1D model is an improved Burgers model. The effects of the time dependence of the viscosity coefficient and the ratio of elastic to viscous deformation are considered simultaneously. The accuracy of the 1D model for predicting the cyclic nonlinear deformation at different temperatures and loading rates is improved. The 2D model is a nonlinear orthotropic model using polynomials. On the basis of the single-objective genetic algorithm, the inverse algorithm is used to obtain the shear polynomial coefficients in the tension phase and the shear modulus in the unloading phase, which circumvents performing the difficult shear test. UMAT subroutines of off-axis stretching and off-axis cyclic stretching are written separately. The intelligent inverse algorithm program consists of a single-objective genetic algorithm program, a finite element parametric modelling program, and a UMAT subroutine. The simulation results are compared with the off-axis cyclic tensile test data to validate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed 2D model for the analysis of the woven PVC-coated films in the tension–shear coupling state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an investigation on the mechanical properties and failure mechanisms of composites made of plain woven fabrics reinforced with carbon fibers, aramid fibers, and their intralayer hybrids. The specimens were fabricated by hand lay-up method. Tension, compression, and shear tests were performed in accordance with the relevant standards to investigate the tensile, compression, and shear properties of carbon fiber, aramid fiber, and carbon/aramid fiber intralayer hybrid plain woven composites. Accurate strain field was obtained by digital image correlation (DIC) technology and compared with the results measured by the strain rosettes. Furthermore, a multi-scale modeling strategy was developed to predict the mechanical properties of the hybrid composites. The fiber monofilament model was used to calculate the effective properties of carbon and aramid yarns at the micro-scale level. Representative volume element (RVE) models of the hybrid composite were constructed considering the real fabric pattern at the meso-scale level. The predicted results agree well with the experimental data which validates the multi-scale modeling strategy. The presented information on the tensile, compressive, and shear properties and finite element simulation method of carbon/aramid intralayer hybrid composites should be useful in subsequent research as well as in designing new high-performance composites and structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the excellent mechanical properties and strong design flexibility, the 3D woven composite engine casing shows great potential in high performance fields. This article adopted the method of double-layer weaving and adding yarn to achieve the variable thickness of the 3D woven composite engine casing. The purpose of this article is to study the compression performance and failure mechanism of this variable thickness casing in different thickness zones through experiments and numerical simulations to lay a foundation for future optimization and inclusiveness research on this casing with complex thickness changes. Three types of representative volume cells are established for progressive damage analysis. 3D-Hashin criteria and von-Mises stress criterion are used as damage criteria for yarns and matrix. The progressive damage process and the proportion of damage in the inner and outer layers of three types of 3D woven tubes under axial compression load are analyzed. Results show that the main failure modes of the three types of tubes are yarn-matrix compressive cracking along direction 3 and matrix failure. The damages are mostly concentrated in the warp bending area. The proportions of warp yarn damage in the inner and outer layers of three tubes are different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sandwich structures with an asymmetric configuration are employed to introduce in-plane loads as well as to connect them with other structural components. Understanding their failure mechanism is crucial to ensure the safety design of aircraft. This paper investigates experimentally and numerically the mechanical behavior of asymmetric sandwich panels (ASPs) under compression. Quasi-static tests are conducted to obtain the buckling loads, post-buckling behavior, and load-bearing capacity of ASPs. A non-linear finite element (FE) model is developed to elucidate their damage behavior and failure mechanism. Numerical predictions are compared with test results to validate the FE model and failure analysis. The results demonstrate that the presence of a tapered region significantly influences stress distribution and failure initiations. A parametric study is also conducted to investigate the effects of the tapered angle on the compression response of ASPs. The reported results can provide a reference for the optimal design of ASPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon fiber laminated composites are widely used in aerospace and high speed railways industries due to their high specific strength and stiffness, but the poor interlaminar properties affect their further applications. In order to solve the problem of poor interlayer performance of woven laminated composites, this paper proposes a new type of laminated composite, called single-sided-loop two-dimensional (2D) woven laminated composites (SWLC). By introducing loop warp yarns to the thickness of general 2D woven laminated composites (GWLC), the loop between its preform and resin can improve the way of the fibers attached to the substrate and increase the volume content of the fibers between the layers. The mechanical behavior of SWLC is investigated experimentally and numerically. For numerical simulations, a unit cell is established based on the fine periodic structure. A progressive damage model is established using the 3D Hashin and the von-Mises criteria. Numerical results are in good agreement with the experimental data. Results show that the looped fabric can improve interlayer properties at the expense of slight reduction of some in-plane properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with numerical and experimental free vibration analysis of through-the-thickness cylindrical polymer pin-reinforced foam core sandwich composite panels of two different core thicknesses. Four different pin-reinforcement configurations with varying pin diameters and pin center distances were used. First five non-zero eigenfrequencies were retrieved along with their eigenmodes in the numerical analysis. Experimental modal analysis was done for the validation of the numerical analysis. The results revealed that the pin-configuration with the densest pin allocation and the biggest pin diameter provided the highest natural frequencies, and the non-reinforced composites had the lowest natural frequencies. The increase in the pin diameter had a slightly more pronounced effect on the increase of the eigenfrequencies than the increase in the pin's densities. This work also demonstrated the impact of the core thickness on the natural frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Three-dimensional (3D) woven composites have been widely used in structural components due to their excellent mechanical and near-net-shape properties. However, for some special applications, it is expected that 3D woven composites can be damaged at designated locations under a specific load. In this research work, a new kind of defect-prefabricated 3D woven composites (DP3DWCs) are designed, where defects are prefabricated by cutting weft or warp yarns in defect-free 3D woven composites (DF3DWCs). The tensile mechanical properties of the DF3DWCs and the DP3DWCs are investigated experimentally and numerically. The mesoscopic geometry models of the DF3DWCs and the DP3DWCs were established by multi-objective searching algorithm. The progressive damage models were established using the 3D Hashin criteria and the von Mises failure criterion. Numerical results agree well with the experimental data. The influence of the number of defect layers on the mechanical properties was also discussed. The obtained results indicate that the defects have little effect on the elastic modulus, while tensile strengths decrease linearly with the increase of the number of defect layers. Failure mechanisms of yarns and matrix in the non-defective and defective materials were studied, and the volume fraction of elements of each failure mode was computed and analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]