Modeling of Delamination Failure in Woven Fabric Reinforced Composites Under Mixed Mode Loading

Abstract

Woven fabric reinforced composites are used extensively in aerospace, automobile and wind turbine blades etc. Delamination is one of the most common type of damage in composite laminates due to their week interfacial strength. Delamination in composites is studied extensively in the past few years. Delamination can occur in different modes. Practically delamination occurs in mixed mode. Woven fabric reinforced composites exhibit complex failure mechanisms such as fiber cracking, matrix cracking and interface damage modes predominantly delamination. For prediction of delamination as a main concern, several modeling techniques has been suggested in literature which can be used to model the interface to predict the damage initiation and propagation of the interface. This thesis focuses on numerical simulation of mixed mode woven fabric reinforced composite with experimental validation of the model. Comprehensive numerical model incorporating all the mixed mode ratios detailing progressive delamination and how to run mixed mode with high mesh densities have not been studied yet. Mixed mode experimental tests have been conducted with various mode ratios to obtain the load-displacement curves according to astm standard. Numerical model is suggested using the built-in composite layup model for plies and cohesive zone model is used for predicting the progressive damage of the interface. The validated model is then used to analyze different configuration of scarf joint.