Two-Scale Analysis of Thermal Behavior of CFRP Laminates Based on a Thermoelastoviscoplastic Homogenization Theory

Abstract

In this study, a two-scale thermoelastoviscoplastic analysis method for carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) laminates is proposed based on a homogenization theory for time-dependent composites. For this, macroscopic and microscopic boundary value problems for CFRP laminates are derived to discuss the relation between the two problems. Using the relation, a two-scale thermoelastoviscoplastic analysis method is constructed, and then applied to the analysis of thermal behavior of an unsymmetric cross-ply carbon fiber/epoxy laminate. The laminate is subjected to a macroscopic temperature change from 180°C to 20°C. It is shown that quite high residual stress and strain occur both macroscopically and microscopically in the laminate, resulting in large macroscopic warpage of the laminate.