Theoretical and Numerical Prediction of the Effective Elastic Properties of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Composites for the Aerial Vehicle Wing

Design of the Flying Vehicles Elements from Polymer Composite Materials


Аuthors

Wai Y. O.*, Mikhailovsky K. V.**

Baumann Moscow State Technical University, 105005, Moscow, 2nd Baumanskaya St., b. 5, c. 1

*e-mail: waiyanoo6977@gmail.com
**e-mail: mikhaylovskiy@bmstu.ru

Abstract

The study executed computational-and-theoretical prediction of the effective elastic characteristics of the monolayer of the unidirectional, orthogonally reinforced and quasi-isotropic carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) applied in the wing structure. The relevance of the research is stipulated by the widespread application of polymer composite materials in the aerospace industry due to their high specific mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and potential for weight reduction. The CFRP application in the wing components and other primary load-bearing structures allows reducing aircraft weight while maintaining the required strength and stiffness characteristics.
The presented study addresses the problem of the effective mechanical properties predicting of the CFRP employed in the load-carrying wing structure. Employing a multi-scale approach based on the joint application of analytical models of micromechanics and numerical modeling of the representative volume element (RVE) is assumed to allow enhancing the results fidelity and assessing the spread of the characteristics being determined.
The objective of the study consists in the accuracy assessing of the analytical and numerical methods for the CFRP the effective elastic properties determining with a view to subsequent application in the light aircraft wing structure optimization. The Piper PA-28 light aircraft wing was selected as the subject of research. oray T700 carbon fibers and Etal Carbon Light epoxy resin were employed as the binding materials.
The effective characteristics determining of the unidirectional CFRP was being performed within the framework of the multi-scale approach employing the Voigt–Reuss, Eshelby, Halpin–Tsai, and Chamis analytical micromechanical models, as well as numerical simulation of a representative volume element with ANSYS Material Designer and MSC Digimat. The analysis was performed at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels. Several loading cases, including both longitudinal and transverse tension as well as shear loading in the principal material planes, were considered to determine the effective elastic properties.
The obtained results demonstrate good concurrence of the characteristics being predicted obtained with the ANSYS Material Designer and MSC Digimat complexes. Maximum discrepancy between the computed properties does not exceed 1.4%, confirming validity of the developed finite element models, boundary conditions, and homogenization procedures. Comparison of the analytical and numerical results demonstrated that the Halpin–Tsai model ensures the closest agreement with the finite element simulations. Average deviation of the results obtained with this model does not exceed 8.1%.
Classical Laminate Theory (CLT) and finite element simulations performed in ANSYS ACP PrePost were employed for the the CFRP multilayer laminates effective elastic properties determining The study of the reinforcement schemes impact on the CFRP effective characteristics was performed. The difference between the analytical and numerical results does not exceed 0.3%. The obtained results may be handy in the design and structural analysis of the aerospace composite structures, as well as in evaluation of the stress–strain state and strength of the light aircraft wing components.

Keywords:

aerial vehicle wing, carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) based on carbon tape, effective elastic properties prediction at the meso- and microstructure levels, numerical and analytical models

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