Prediction of transverse crack progression based on continuum damage mechanics and its application to composite laminates and filament-wound cylindrical pressure vessels

Abstract

To predict the damage variable of a 90° ply in an arbitrary lay-up laminate subjected to a certain loading, we formulated a damage progression law that represents the damage variable as a function of the damage-associated variable based on continuum damage mechanics (CDM). Utilizing the three-dimensional laminate theory and this CDM model, we predicted the damage progression of a 90° ply in cross-ply and quasi-isotropic laminates. In this analysis, the effective compliance of Lopes’ model was adopted. Additionally, the failure pressure of a filament-wound (FW) cylindrical vessel was predicted by coupling the analytical solution with the present CDM model, and the predicted failure pressure was compared with the results obtained using Christensen’s failure stress criteria. As a result, it was indicated that the prediction of the final fracture of FW vessel requires the CDM approach.