Numerical Modeling and Simulation of Delamination Crack Growth in CF/Epoxy Composite Laminates under Cyclic Loading Using Cohesive Zone Model

Abstract

This paper presents the mathematical modelling of fatigue damage able to carry out simulation of evolution of delamination in the laminated composite structures under cyclic loadings. A new elastic fatigue damage evolution law is proposed here. A classical interface damage evolution law, which is commonly used to predict static debonding process, is modified further to incorporate fatigue delamination effects due to high cycle loadings. The proposed fatigue damage model is identified using Fracture Mechanics tests like DCB, ENF and MMB. Simulations of delamination under fatigue loading are performed and results are successfully compared with reported experimental data on HTA/6376C unidirectional material. Delamination crack growth with variable fatigue amplitude is also performed and simulation results show that the proposed fatigue damage law can also accommodate this variable amplitude phenomenon. A study of crack tip behaviour using damage variable evolution is also carried out in this paper. Finally the effect of mesh density on crack growth is also discussed.