A Fibre-Path Generation Algorithm for Fibre-Steered Variable Stiffness Laminates

The development of novel materials has been of great interest to the aerospace industry in the pursuit of efficiency and cost reduction. Fibre-steered variable stiffness laminates have promising characteristics due to the ability to better tailor designs for expected loading, as the fibre orientation can be varied within a layer. This thesis was...

FEM analysis of a Mode III fracture mechanics test specimens for cohesive law determination of fibre composite

Delamination is one of the common failure types in the fiber composites. The trailing edge in the wind turbine blades, for example, is one of the structural components where the delamination is driven by mode III under predominantly flapwise loading. There has been an extensive effort in developing test procedures and test specimens for...

Durability of stiffened CFRP panels with initial delaminations

A numerical fatigue delamination model is validated by means of experimental tests. Delamination is initiated on the skin-stiffener interface which, under cyclic compressive loading and in the post-buckling regime, grows at a decreasing rate. A cohesive zone formulation is used to model the static and fatigue delamination growth, good agreement...

The effects of different cure cycles on the mechanical performance of thick-walled composites

A composite wind turbine blade is partially thick-walled to comply with high strength criteria. When the manufacturer’s recommended cure cycle (MRCC), which is designed for thin-walled components, is used for thick-walled components it can lead to high levels of residual stress. This experimental research investigates different cure cycles for...

Hyperloop Dynamics

A proposed future mode of mass transit is the hyperloop system, in which magnetically levitating passenger pods travel at high speed through a tube held at low pressure. This thesis will investigate the dynamics of such a system, and determine the influence of various parameters on the dynamic response of the system. The tube has been modelled...

The material damping of an offshore composite 10MW wind turbine tower

The dutch government plans to build a vast amount of offshore wind turbines. Therefore, it will be necessary to decrease the costs of the transportation, installation and maintenance of these wind turbines. Jules Dock tries to achieve this by replacing the steel design of the next generation 10MW wind turbine tower by a flexible composite design...

Relating Process Parameters to X-Core Properties through Experimental Testing and Modelling: Gaining an In-Depth Understanding of the X-Core Cure Process

Besides building ultra-lightweight sportscars, Donkervoort Automobielen B.V. is developing a novel core material to be applied in complex shaped composite sandwich structures. This material goes by the name of X-Core and has the unique capability of generating the pressure required for facesheet consolidation, enabling a one-shot manufacturing...

Predicting residual strength of composites after cyclic loading: A numerical, progressive damage analysis based approach

As the demand on new lightweight materials increases due to economic and environmental reasons, fiber reinforced plastics seem an interesting solution. In order to maximize their potential, ways have to be found to introduce damage tolerant designs. To this end, in the present exercise, the damage caused by cyclic loading is investigated.<br/...