Study of strength and its reliability of SiC fiber bundle by experimental and Monte-Carlo simulation approach

Abstract

Tensile tests and Monte-Carlo simulation on the strength and its reliability of the SiC CVD (formed by chemical vapor deposition) fiber bundle were performed. The experimental and simulation results were compared and analyzed by fiber bundle strength theories. The experimental results showed that the strength of the SiC CVD fiber bundle was decreased as the number of fibers in the bundle was increased; while in the process, Weibull shape parameter of the bundle strength was increased. The experimental results were in good agreement with the Monte-Carlo simulation. In addition, Monte-Carlo simulation was used to clarify the detailed relationship between the strength of the SiC CVD bundle and the number of fibers in the bundle and the simulation results were compared with that of Coleman theory. The comparison revealed that the strength of the SiC CVD bundle converged to the value of Coleman theory as the number of fibers in the bundle increased; at the same time, the rate of convergence was increased as Weibull shape parameter was increased. Furthermore, the relationship between the strength of the SiC CVD fiber bundle and Weibull shape parameter of the SiC CVD fiber strength was also examined. It was found that the strength of the SiC CVD fiber bundle increased as Weibull shape parameter was increased although the number of fibers in the bundle was countable. Finally, the breaking-down process and the number of broken-fibers in the bundle depended on the number of fibers the bundle and Weibull shape parameter of the SiC CVD fiber strength.