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Term Project - R23 - R29

This document describes a term project analyzing the mechanical properties of composite materials using finite element analysis. Students used ABAQUS to model a representative volume element (RVE) of a fiber-reinforced epoxy composite with 30% fiber volume fraction. They determined properties including longitudinal and transverse elastic moduli, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, and stress partitioning factor through iso-strain and iso-stress assumptions. Results matched analytical values closely for some properties but deviated up to 30% for others due to the high fiber volume fraction of the RVE. The project aimed to verify micromechanical analysis of composite properties using finite element modeling.

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Arnab Manna
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30 views

Term Project - R23 - R29

This document describes a term project analyzing the mechanical properties of composite materials using finite element analysis. Students used ABAQUS to model a representative volume element (RVE) of a fiber-reinforced epoxy composite with 30% fiber volume fraction. They determined properties including longitudinal and transverse elastic moduli, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, and stress partitioning factor through iso-strain and iso-stress assumptions. Results matched analytical values closely for some properties but deviated up to 30% for others due to the high fiber volume fraction of the RVE. The project aimed to verify micromechanical analysis of composite properties using finite element modeling.

Uploaded by

Arnab Manna
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY KHARAGPUR

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Term Project
on
ME60408: Mechanics of Composite

Under the guidance of


Prof. Atul Jain

Submitted By
BIKRAM MONDAL: 22ME63R23
ARNAB MANNA: 22ME63R29
Introduction
In our constantly expanding global economy composite materials are witnessing a rapidly
increasing demand for their tremendous civil and military potential. Composites preferred over
conventional materials because of their higher stiffness-to-weight ratio and strength-to-weight
ratio, high temperature withstanding capacity, durability (Higher fatigue life) with very less
maintenance. Excessive weight of a material like steel can severely affect the performance of
any mobile equipment (e.g., Transport aircrafts, armoured vehicles, Main battle tanks etc.),
manoeuvrability could be significantly reduced as well. Weight savings is one of the top
benefits associated with composite usage, allowing for higher payload, improved fuel
efficiency, and high-speed capabilities. They also possess an infinite fatigue life compared to
conventional materials, e.g., steel, aluminium. Rotating machine elements, such as a driveshaft,
goes through a lot of cycles in a short period of time, where introduction of composites might
make a significant impact.
However, the anisotropy and non-homogeneity of composite materials present lots of
challenges to deal with, designing of machine elements under multi-directional loading
becomes quite difficult for these reasons. Cost of production of composite materials are too
high and very difficult to produce since a unique shape of machine element requires a unique
way to fabricate and hence limit their applications to a great extent.

Figure 1: Core of sandwiched Composite


Objective
In this term project an attempt was made to verify the fundamental principles of
micromechanics which we generally use to find equivalent mechanical properties of fibre
reinforced composite materials. Finite Element Method is used to evaluate the effective
mechanical properties of the composites and compared with the analytical results. For FE
analysis ABAQUS software was used.

The mechanical properties obtained by the simulation are mentioned below:

a) Elastic Modulus in longitudinal direction (E33) under Iso-Strain condition


b) Elastic Modulus in transverse direction (E22) under Iso-Stress condition
c) Modulus of Rigidity (G12)
d) Poisson’s Ratio (γ12)
e) Stress Partitioning Factor (η)

Material Properties
The phases of composite material along with their mechanical properties are mentioned below:

1) Matrix: Epoxy Resin


E11 = E22 = E33 = 3 GPa, γ12 = 0.37
2) Fibre: E-Glass
E11 = E22 = 80 GPa, γ12 = 0. 22

Representative Volume Element (RVE):


RVE used for simulation is a randomly distributed continuous UD fibre reinforced
thermosetting plastic (epoxy). Dimension of the RVE taken is 100x50x50 with volume fraction
of fibre (Vf) is 0.3 and volume fraction of matrix (Vm) is 0.7.
Figure 2: Assembly of Fibre & Matrix in RVE

Meshing
To determine an optimum meshing results from different meshing techniques and mesh

elements were compared and finally Quadratic Hexahedral mesh elements (20 node quadratic

hexahedral brick- C3D20R) of 2.2 mm was used for the global mesh size. Total No of mesh

Elements turned out to be 31725.

Figure 3: Meshing of Representative Volume Element


Iso-Strain assumption to determine Elastic Modulus in Longitudinal
direction:
To determine equivalent Young’s Modulus in longitudinal direction of the fibres, it is assumed that the
strains in the fibre direction of a unidirectional fibre-reinforced composite material are same in the fibres
as in the matrix.

Figure 4: RVE under Iso-Strain condition

Equivalent Young’s Modulus of Composite in 3 direction by Rule of Mixture:

E3,c = V3,f Ef + V3,m.Em


Σ𝜎𝑖 𝑣𝑖
Elastic modulus of the composite in longitudinal direction, 𝐸3,𝑐 = = 26.2 GPa
Σ 𝜀𝑖 𝑣𝑓,𝑖

Where, σi = Stress at centroid of an element in 1-direction;


𝑣𝑖 = Volume fraction of the element;
𝜀𝑖 = Strain of the element in 1-direction.

Figure 5: Loading in longitudinal direction of fibre (Iso-Strain condition)


Figure 6: Stress Contour under Iso-Strain condition

Figure 7: Strain Contour under Iso-Strain condition


Iso-Stress assumption to determine Elastic Modulus in transverse direction:
To determine equivalent Young’s Modulus in transverse direction of the fibres, it is assumed that the
stress in the fibre direction of a unidirectional fibre-reinforced composite material are same in the fibres
as in the matrix.

Figure 8: RVE under Iso-Strain condition

Equivalent Young’s Modulus of Composite in transverse direction of fibre by Inverse Rule of Mixture:

𝑽𝒎 . 𝑬𝒇 + 𝑽𝒇 . 𝑬𝒎
𝑬𝟐,𝒄 =
𝑽𝒎 + 𝑽𝒇

Σ𝜎𝑖 𝑣𝑖
Elastic modulus of the composite in longitudinal direction, 𝐸2,𝑐 = = 5.53 GPa
Σ 𝜀𝑖 𝑣𝑓,𝑖

Where, σi = Stress at centroid of an element in 2-direction;


𝑣𝑖 = Volume fraction of the element;
𝜀𝑖 = Strain of the element in 2-direction
Figure 9: Loading in Transverse direction of Fibre

Figure 10: Stress Contour under Iso-Stress condition


Figure 11: Strain Contour under Iso-Stress condition

Stress Partitioning Factor (η2)


It has been experimentally established that stress in Matrix and Fibres are not same even under iso-
stress condition. That’s why a variable was introduced to account for the discrepancies of stress values
in fibres and matrix, known as stress partitioning factor. Theoretically for glass fibre stress partitioning
factor is taken as 0.6, this value is compared with the FEA results and it’s been found that they are in
good match.

Σ𝜎𝑓,𝑖 𝑣𝑓,𝑖
Average stress in fibres for iso-stress assumption, 𝜎𝑓,𝑎𝑣𝑔 =
Σ𝑣𝑓,𝑖

Σ𝜎𝑚,𝑖 𝑣𝑚,𝑖
Average stress in the matrix for iso-stress assumption, 𝜎𝑚,𝑎𝑣𝑔 =
Σ𝑣𝑚,𝑖

𝜎𝑓,𝑎𝑣𝑔
Stress partitioning factor, 𝜂2 = 𝜎 = 0.67
𝑚,𝑎𝑣𝑔
Determination of Modulus of Rigidity (G12):
The in-plane shear modulus of a lamina, G12, is determined in the mechanics of materials approach by
presuming that shearing stresses on fibre and on the matrix are same. Shear Modulus is estimated under
the assumptions of sum of shear displacements and Iso-Stress in shear.

Figure 12: RVE loaded in Shear


Equivalent Modulus of Rigidity of Composite in transverse direction of fibre.

𝑽𝒎 . 𝑮𝒇 + 𝑽𝒇 . 𝑮𝒎
𝑮𝟏𝟐 =
𝑽𝒎 + 𝑽𝒇

Figure 13 : Shear Loading


Figure 14: Stress Contour under shear stress

Figure 15: Strain Contour under shear loading


Poisson’s Ratio (γ12)
Poisson’s Ratio of composite materials is estimated assuming Iso-Strain in longitudinal direction and
sum of displacements in transverse direction to Fibre.

Poisson’s Ratio: γ12 = -ε2 /ε1

Figure 16: RVE loaded in longitudinal direction

RESULTS
Analytical results have been compared for the particular RVE with 𝑣𝑓 = 0.3 and the results have been
summarised below,

Mechanical Property Analytical Result Result from FEM % Error


simulation
Equivalent Young’s 26.1 GPa 26.2 GPa 0.38
Modulus in longitudinal
direction of the fibres
Equivalent Young’s 4.21 GPa 5.53 GPa 30.9
Modulus in the
transverse direction of
the fibres
Equivalent Shear 1.54 GPa 1.9 GPa 23.3
Modulus in the
transverse direction of
the fibres
Poisson’s Ratio 0.325 0.319 1.8
Stress Partitioning 0.6 0.67 11.6
Factor
Conclusions:
It’s been found that FE results for the some of the material constants (Longitudinal elastic
modulus, Poisson’s ratio) are well match with the analytical results, while some of them
(Transverse elastic modulus and shear modulus) are deviating from the analytical values by a
significant extent. The reason for this mis-match is the high volume fraction of the fibres of the RVE
taken for performing the finite element simulation. For less fibre volume fraction the mis-match was
found to be quite less.

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