Numerical shape, thickness and stacking sequence optimisation and experimental study of hybrid composite plates under in-plane shear loading

Damghani, Mahdi, Matthews, Jason, Murphy, Adrian and Featherston, Carol ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7548-2882 2023. Numerical shape, thickness and stacking sequence optimisation and experimental study of hybrid composite plates under in-plane shear loading. Structures 51 , pp. 372-390. 10.1016/j.istruc.2023.03.066

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Abstract

Shape, thickness and stacking sequence optimisation of a damage tolerant hybrid (GFRP-CFRP) composite laminate is performed using the commercial Optistruct solver. The results of the optimisation study are compared to both a benchmark non-damage tolerant CFRP laminate (without protective surface GFRP plies known as type 1 laminate) and a damage tolerant traditionally optimised hybrid CFRP-GFRP laminate (having X shape CFRP plies known as type 2 laminate), designed and tested in a previous study. The optimised laminate is manufactured using three different manufacturing techniques. The experimental buckling and post-buckling performance of the manufactured laminates are investigated. The optimised hybrid laminate is approximately heavier than the type 1 but lighter than type 2, but with the benefit of protective surface GFRP plies in favour of a damage tolerant design as shown in a previous study. Both numerical and experimental buckling and post-buckling performance studies show that the optimised laminates demonstrate higher pre-buckling stiffness compared to the type 1 design. However, the experimental buckling and failure/collapse loads, unlike the numerically predicted loads, are and lower, respectively. This is due to the significant number of ply drop-offs in the hybrid laminate design, and hence geometric imperfections and stress concentration effects at these locations leading to early buckling and failure in the post-buckling region.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Engineering
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	2352-0124
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	5 April 2023
Date of Acceptance:	10 March 2023
Last Modified:	03 May 2023 21:07
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/158384

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