Nonlinear dynamic response analysis of localized damaged laminated composite structures in the context of component mode synthesis

Abstract

The aim of this study is the prediction of the dynamic response of damaged laminated composite structures in the context of component mode synthesis. Hence, a method of damage localization of complex structures is proposed. The dynamic behavior of transversely isotropic layers is expressed through elasticity coupled with damage based on an existing macro model for cracked structures. The damage is located only in some regions of the whole structure, which is decomposed on substructures. The incremental linear dynamic governing equations are obtained by using the classical linear Kirchhoff-Love theory of plates. Then, considering the damage-induced nonlinearity, the obtained nonlinear dynamic equations are solved in time domain. However, a detailed finite element modelling of such structure on the scale of localized damage would generate very high computational costs. To reduce this cost, Component Mode Synthesis method (CMS) is used for modelling a nonlinear fine-scale substructure damaged, connected to linear dynamic models of the remaining substructures, which can be condensed and not updated at each iteration. Numerical results show that the mechanical properties of the structure highly change when damage is taken into account. Under an impact load, damage increases and reaches its highest value with the maximum of the applied load and then remains unchanged. Besides, the eigenfrequencies of the damaged structure decrease comparing with those of an undamaged one. This methodology can be used for monitoring strategies and lifetime estimations of hybrid complex structures due to the damage state is known in space and time.