Analysis Method for Post-Impact Damage Development in Carbon Fiber Reinforced Laminate under Repeated Loading

Abstract

In the current work, an analysis method for obtaining post-impact damage propagation under cyclic compressive load in flat carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) panels is presented. The solution for damage growth life is given based on the introduced hypothesis of reference damage mode (RDM). The critical size of damage for obtaining damage growth life was informed by the analysis of crack driving force versus damage size conducted using finite element analysis (FEA). The applicability of the damage tolerance principle for the case of compression–compression cyclic loading of the structural element containing impact damage is discussed and illustrated by the example. The results of using the introduced simplified approach to the calculation of characteristics of damage growth life suggest that the use of the slow-growth approach in composite structures is possible, though the necessity of obtaining the exact parameters of the damage growth rate equation with regard to the chosen crack driving force measure must be addressed.