Buckling and fracture analysis of thick and long composite cylinders with cutouts under axial Compression: An experimental and numerical campaign

Abstract

This article reports on the manufacturing, experimental testing, and finite element analysis of very thick and long carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRP) tubes under uniaxial compression (radius-to-thickness ratio ∼ 10 and length-to-radius ratio ∼ 21). Herein, long and hollow axisymmetric composite cylinders were produced through bladder molding. The CFRP tubes have two oppositely located cutouts in the middle of the structures. Three test specimens with different cutout diameters (5, 10, and 15 mm) were experimentally tested until failure. The experimental testing campaign was supported by digital image correlation, acoustic emission, and infrared thermographic measurements to investigate the damage propagation and failure analysis. The CFRP tubes failed at the cutout location due to fiber fracture. Linear static and geometrically non-linear analyses were performed using ABAQUS to analyze the CFPR tubes under axial compression. In general, numerical and experimental results are in good agreement if the maximum stress or Hashin criteria are applied.