A direct correlation between damage parameters and effective permeation coefficients in composite laminates

Abstract

We introduce an innovative approach for determining the gas permeability of composite laminates, explicitly accounting for inter-fiber fracture. Our method forges a direct correlation between the Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) damage parameter for transverse inter-fiber fracture and the effective permeation coefficients, which are crucial in assessing leak tightness. This correlation stems from a geometric similarity between the ratio of the damaged material’s load-carrying capacity to that of its pristine state, and the relative projected crack length as crucial parameter for the effective permeability assessment. This CDM-based approach represents a significant advancement in directly deriving a laminate’s permeability from mechanical failure analysis results. This is essential for the design process of Type V hydrogen storage tanks. Literature-based experimental results validate the plausibility of our method, proving its effectiveness across various laminate orientations and damage scenarios. Nonetheless, the observed deviations highlight the need for detailed damage information, elaborate material characterization.