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ECF22 - Loading and Environmental effects on Structural Integrity

ECF22 - Loading and Environmental effects on Structural Integrity
High velocity impact response of 3D hybrid woven composites
High velocity impact response of 3D hybrid woven composites
XV Portuguese Conference on Fracture, PCF 2016, 10-12 February 2016, Paço de Arcos, Portugal
Ahmed Sohail*, Zheng Xitao, Shiekh Muhammad Zakir
Ahmed Sohail*, Zheng Xitao, Shiekh Muhammad Zakir
Thermo-mechanical modeling of a high pressure turbine blade of an
School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an PR China
School of Aeronautics, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an PR China
airplane gas turbine engine
a b c
Abstract P. Brandão , V. Infante , A.M. Deus *
Abstract
a
The aim Department
of this workof is
Mechanical
to develop Engineering,
an efficient Instituto Superior
numerical modelTécnico,
whichUniversidade
can predictdethe
Lisboa, Av. Rovisco
behavior of 3DPais, 1, 1049-001
hybrid Lisboa,
woven composites
The aim of this work is to develop an efficient numerical model Portugal
which can predict the behavior of 3D hybrid woven composites
under b high velocity impact by utilizing the inbuilt constitutive and damage models within the finite element software. To predict
IDMEC, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa,
under high velocity
the constitutive and impact
damagebybehavior
utilizingofthe inbuilt constitutive
composites and
during thePortugal
highdamage models
velocity impactwithin the finite
process, element software.
a combination To contact
of cohesive predict
the cconstitutive and damage behavior of composites during the high velocity impact process, a combination of cohesive contact
and CeFEMA,
continuum shell elements
Department is proposed
of Mechanical in finite
Engineering, element
Instituto (FE) Técnico,
Superior model. Delamination
Universidade debehavior is Rovisco
Lisboa, Av. characterized
Pais, 1, by introducing
1049-001 Lisboa,
and cohesive
the continuum shell elements
contact between is theproposed in finite
two adjacent element
laminas (FE)
using model.
the Delamination
traction
Portugal separation behavior
law, whileis damage,
characterized by introducing
induced during the
the cohesive
impact processcontact
in eachbetween the two
single layer adjacent laminate,
of composite laminas using the traction
is depicted separation
by continuum law,
shell while with
elements damage, induced
Hashin failureduring the
criterion.
impact process
Connector in each
elements single layer
containing theoffailure
composite laminate,
behavior is depictedinto
are introduced by continuum
the modelshell elementsthe
to represent withz-yarns
Hashinoffailure
the 3dcriterion.
woven
Abstractelements
Connector
composite. containing
The proposed FE modelthe reveals
failure good
behavior are introduced
capturing of damageinto the modelduring
phenomenon to represent
the impacttheprocess
z-yarnsand
of indicates
the 3d woven
good
composite.
agreement with The proposed FE model
experimental results,reveals
makinggoodit capturing
a valuableof tool
damage
for phenomenon
characterizingduring the impact
the impact process
response of and
3D indicates good
hybrid woven
During their
agreement
composites underoperation,
with experimental modern
high velocity results,aircraft
impacts. making engine components
it a valuable tool are
for subjected to increasingly
characterizing the impact demanding
response ofoperating
3D hybridconditions,
woven
especiallyunder
composites the high
highpressure
velocityturbine
impacts. (HPT) blades. Such conditions cause these parts to undergo different types of time-dependent
degradation, one of which is creep. A model using the finite element method (FEM) was developed, in order to be able to predict
© 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
© the
© 2018 The
TheAuthors.
2018creep Published
behaviour
Authors. by Elsevier
of HPT
Published blades.B.V.
by Flight data records (FDR) for a specific aircraft, provided by a commercial aviation
Peer-review
Peer-review under responsibility of Elsevier
the ECF22 B.V.organizers.
company,under wereresponsibility of the
used to obtain ECF22
thermal organizers.
and mechanical data for three different flight cycles. In order to create the 3D model
Peer-review under responsibility of the ECF22 organizers.
needed for the FEM analysis, a HPT blade scrap was scanned, and its chemical composition and material properties were
Keywords:3D
obtained. The woven composites;
data that was Hybrid;
gathered Finite
waselement
fed into analysis;
the FEM Impact behaviour
model and different simulations were run, first with a simplified 3D
Keywords:3D woven composites; Hybrid; Finite element analysis; Impact behaviour
rectangular block shape, in order to better establish the model, and then with the real 3D mesh obtained from the blade scrap. The
overall expected behaviour in terms of displacement was observed, in particular at the trailing edge of the blade. Therefore such a
1. model
Introduction
can be useful in the goal of predicting turbine blade life, given a set of FDR data.
1. Introduction
©High
2016 stiffness
The Authors.
andPublished
strength byinElsevier B.V. and through-thickness directions makes the 3D woven composites
the in-plane
Highused
widely stiffness
Peer-review underand strength
responsibility
material in in the
of theScientific
the engineering in-plane and through-thickness
Committee
structures. of PCF 2016.
Compared directions
to the other makesarchitectures
3D textile the 3D woven 3D composites
orthogonal
widely composites
woven used material in the less
exhibits engineering
crimpingstructures.
behavior Compared to the
of the yarns, whichother 3D to
leads textile architectures
the improved 3D and
elastic orthogonal
impact
Keywords:
woven High Pressure
composites Turbineless
exhibits Blade; Creep; Finite
crimping Element of
behavior Method; 3D Model;
the yarns, Simulation.
which leads to the improved elastic and impact

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +0086-15691970571.

* E-mail
Corresponding
address:author. Tel.: +0086-15691970571.
s.ahmed@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
E-mail address: s.ahmed@mail.nwpu.edu.cn
2452-3216© 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under
2452-3216© 2018 responsibility
The of thebyECF22
Authors. Published organizers.
Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review underauthor.
* Corresponding responsibility
Tel.: +351of218419991.
the ECF22 organizers.
E-mail address: amd@tecnico.ulisboa.pt

2452-3216 © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of PCF 2016.
2452-3216  2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the ECF22 organizers.
10.1016/j.prostr.2018.12.075
 Ahmed Sohail et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 13 (2018) 450–455 451
2 Author name / StructuralIntegrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

properties. Higher stiffness and strength of 3D orthogonal woven composites in all three direction makes them
competitive against laminated composites and other 3D textile architectures, Gu and Zhili (2002), Tan et al. (2000).
3D woven architectures can be tailored in accordance with their application in the structure to get more optimized
properties in addition to the better delamination resistance and damage tolerance, Quinn et al. (2003), particularly in
the through-thickness direction, Mouritz et al. (1999).
By adding or replacing the fiber tows with those of different materials, the enhanced material properties can be
achieved for 3D woven composites. Hybridization for the carbon-fiber 3D woven composite has shown improved
notch sensitivity, better impact resistance and improvement in fracture toughness Munoz et al. (2014). However,
some problems associate with these kinds of 3D architectures like during the manufacturing process of liquid resin
molding pockets with rich resin and voids are likely to occur. Due to the crimping of fiber tows during weaving
process it is more likely that mechanical properties of the overall material can be degraded, and most importantly
complex architecture makes it difficult for the designers to predict the mechanical properties and behavior under
impact loadings for such kind of materials. In order to mechanically characterize the 3D woven composites, one way
is to simplify the complex structure without compromising on the overall structure characteristics, some examples
are binary model, unit-cell, and mosaic model, developed in the past.
Both low and high velocity impact behavior of 3D woven composites have been studied in the past. Baucom et al
(2005) compared the low velocity impact behavior of 3D orthogonal woven composites and 2D plain-weave
laminate. It was concluded that the 3D composites absorbed more energy by breaking binder fibers and could take
more strikes before complete penetration. Chen and Hodgkinson (2009) carried out both low and high velocity
impact tests on 3D orthogonal composites and non-crimp fabrics. The results showed that the 3D composites
exhibited superior impact resistance and higher Compression After Impact (CAI) strength than NCF in both low and
high velocity tests, and also showed no delamination. Lv and Gu (2008) compared high velocity impact properties
with quasi static indentation properties of 3D orthogonal woven composites.
The behavior under impact process of 3d woven composites have also been determined through numerical
techniques considering the expensive nature of experimental analysis of the same. Various researchers have
developed different Finite element models and techniques to analyze the behavior of 3D woven composites under
impact loading. Ji et al. (2007) developed an FE model which was built by using solid elements to determine the
failure behavior of 3D woven composite under quasi-static and dynamic loadings. Lv and Gu (2008) and Hao et al.
(2008) characterize the damage behavior of 3d woven composites under high velocity impact by developing the FE
model which was built in ABAQUS and using brick elements. Sun et al. (2009) introduces a unit cell approach to
develop a numerical model to characterize the damage behavior under high velocity impact of 3D woven orthogonal
composites. Munoz et al. (2015) performed experimental and numerical study on the impact behavior of hybrid 3D
orthogonal woven composites. The FE model was based on the embedded element method to depict the through the
thickness z-yarns. It can be concluded that while discussing the numerical modeling of impact behavior of 3D woven
composites, most of the researchers have adopted the solid meshing techniques and to depict the material
constitutive and damage behavior user-subroutine was deployed.
Despite the potential of continuum shell elements, very few researchers adopted the technique to develop the
numerical model for the impact behavior of composites. Current study targets to provide the reliable simulation
technique for the impact behavior of 3D woven composites and the accurate prediction of the impact damage
behavior under high velocity impact. To predict the constitutive and damage behavior of composites during the high
velocity impact process, a combination of cohesive contact and continuum shell elements is proposed in finite
element model. Delamination behavior is characterized by introducing the cohesive contact between the two
adjacent laminas using the traction separation law, while damage, induced during the impact process in the single
layer of composite laminate, is depicted by continuum shell elements with Hashin failure criterion. Connector
elements containing the failure behavior are introduced into the model to represent the z-yarns of the 3D woven
composite. The proposed FE model presented good agreement with experimental results to capture the damage
phenomenon during the impact process.
452 Ahmed Sohail et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 13 (2018) 450–455
Author name / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000 3

2. Modeling Methodology

2.1. Geometric modeling

The finite element model of the impact behavior of 3D hybrid woven composite is modeled using commercial FE
modelling software ABAQUS. The architecture of composite panel included three warp (0 0) and four weft (900)
plies stacked as a cross-ply laminate. Warp and weft fibers are bounded together by z-yarns which run in the warp
fiber direction from top to bottom to bind all the layers. Out of seven layers of the composite laminas, 4 layers are
made up of S2 glass and the other 3 of carbon fibers. Schematic of the architecture for a unit cell of 3D hybrid
woven composite is shown in Fig 1. The warp and weft yarn number 1 and 2 are made up of S2 glass fiber and
remaining fibers are made up of carbon fiber. The overall size of the panel is 100 x 100 mm2 with the thickness of
4.1 mm approximately. A spherical steel projectile with diameter of 5.5mm and 0.706 of mass is selected as an
impactor.

Z-yarn

2 1

3 2

Weft 4 Warp

Fig. 1. Schematic representation of weave architecture in one Unit-cell of 3D hybrid woven composite

2.2. FE modeling and failure criteria

Each lamina or ply is modeled as a solid plate with the thickness of 0.586 mm and during the section assignment,
a continuum shell section was assigned which is discretized with 8-node quadrilateral continuum shell element
(SC8R) with reduced integration where single element through the thickness of each ply is used. A structured
meshing strategy was used keeping the element size smaller at the impact and probable damage location to capture
the damage behavior more accurately. Moreover, appropriate element size is chosen so that the z-yarns can be
incorporated at specified distances where they are present in actual geometry. Impactor was modeled as rigid body
while assigning the appropriate inertial mass (0.706g) through reference point and discretized as 4-node 3D bilinear
quadrilateral rigid elements (R3D4).
Z-yarns were modeled as 3D connector elements (CONN3D2) with 2 nodes, where these connector elements run
throughout the composite plate in a zig-zag configuration. The response of the theses elements is modeled as linear
elastic spring-like behavior until the onset of damage. Stress based failure criterion was used, once the failure stress is
reached in particular direction the connector element fails at instance. Hashin damage failure criteria is used to predict
the damage initiation in the composite laminas, Hashin (1980), Hashin and Rotem (1973), and a damage evolution
response is used to model the damage evolution process. Damage initiation refers to the onset of degradation at a
material point. In Abaqus the damage initiation criteria for fiber-reinforced composites are based on Hashin's theory.
These criteria consider four different damage initiation mechanisms: fiber tension, fiber compression, matrix tension,
and matrix compression, ABAQUS 6.14 (2014). Delamination between two adjacent laminas is modeled by the
cohesive zone model with the traction separation law where surface-based cohesive behavior is defined as a surface
interaction property.
 Ahmed Sohail et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 13 (2018) 450–455 453
4 Author name / StructuralIntegrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

Table 1. Elastic constants and strength parameters of composite lamina of 3D hybrid woven composite, Munoz et al. (2015)
Elastic moduli (GPa) Poisson’s ratio Shear Modulus (GPa)
Elastic Constants
E1 E2 E3 υ 12 υ 13 = υ 23 G12 G13 = G23
Carbon 110.1 5.2 7.5 0.32 0.42 4.2 1.95
Glass 42.5 8.6 7.5 0.31 0.41 3.8 1.91
Strength Parameters XT XC YT YC SL
(MPa)
Carbon 2210 1800 69 111 42
Glass 2200 1980 68 109 40

2.3. Material Properties

The composite laminate’s constitutive and damage behavior for the impact process of 3D hybrid woven
composite is discussed in previous section. The elastic constants used in the continuum shell elements for the
composite laminas are presented in Table 1. The strength parameters for the Hashin damage failure criterion in this
study are also summarized in Table 1. The interplay properties for the delamination behavior of traction separation
law are listed in Table 2, Shin et al. (2014).

Table 2. Traction separation law for delamination between adjacent plies, Shin et al. (2014)
Density (kg/m3) Effective E (MPa) Damage initiation (MPa) Fracture toughness (mJ/mm2) BK
ρ Knn Kss Ktt 𝑡𝑡𝑛𝑛0 𝑡𝑡𝑛𝑛0 𝑡𝑡𝑛𝑛0 𝐺𝐺𝑛𝑛𝐶𝐶 𝐺𝐺𝑆𝑆𝐶𝐶 𝐺𝐺𝑡𝑡𝐶𝐶 η
1200 100 100 100 40 50 50 0.26 0.52 0.52 1.8

3. Results and Discussions

Ballistic performance under high velocity impact of 3D hybrid woven composite panel on the carbon face and the
glass face were simulated using the continuum shell elements for composite laminate and cohesive contact strategy
to capture the delamination under impact. The simulation results are depicted in Fig 2 where residual velocity is
plotted against the impact velocity, together with the experimental results and numerical simulation conducted by
Munoz et al. (2015). The numerical simulation results show that the FE model was able to produce the results which
are in good agreement with the experimental results.
Although the FE simulation presented good results however there are slight variations in terms of residual
velocities measured during the impact process. The residual velocities in the case of impact on carbon face are
slightly over predicted and in the case of impact on glass face the values for residual velocities are under predicted.
Similarly, in the case of ballistic limit the results in both cases are slightly deviated but remains within the 10% of
the experimental data.
In addition to the prediction of the residual velocity, the FE simulations also presented the visual insight about the
impact process when the impactor impacted either on glass or carbon face and shows that how the process unfolds at
different stages of impact which is almost impossible to observe during actual tests. The visual simulation results at
different times of the impact process are presented in Fig 3. Cross-sections of the results of the impact simulations
are shown for the sake of better understanding of the failure behavior during the process. The failed elements are
deleted from the simulation as soon as their failure criteria is reached whether it is fiber compression, fiber tension,
matrix tension and matrix compression. Moreover, the delamination between the adjacent plies is also clearly
evident from the figure.
454 Ahmed Sohail et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 13 (2018) 450–455
Author name / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000 5

Impact on carbon face Impact on glass face

500 500
450 450
Experiment Experiment
400 Numerical Simulation 400 Numerical Simulation
Residual velocity (m/s)

Residual velocity (m/s)

350 Present study 350 Present study
300 300
250 250
200 200
150 150
100 100
50 50
0 0
250 350 450 550 250 350 450 550
Impact velocity (m/s) Impact velocity (m/s)

Fig. 2. Comparison of residual velocity curves between present study and experimental and numerical study presented by Munoz et al. (2015)

time=0.004 ms time=0.004 ms

time=0.01 ms time=0.01 ms

time=0.02 ms time=0.02 ms

time=0.04 ms time=0.04 ms

Impact at an initial velocity of 350 m/s Impact at an initial velocity of 425 m/s
Fig. 3. Damage within the plies and delamination behavior between the plies at different impact velocities
 Ahmed Sohail et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 13 (2018) 450–455 455
6 Author name / StructuralIntegrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

4. Conclusion

The impact behavior of 3D hybrid woven composite under high velocity impact was studied numerically in the
current study. During the FE simulation, to predict the constitutive and damage behavior of composites during the
high velocity impact process, a combination of cohesive contact and continuum shell elements is proposed.
Delamination behavior between the laminas is characterized by introducing the cohesive contact between the two
adjacent plies using the traction separation law, while damage, induced during the impact process in each layer of
composite panel, is depicted by continuum shell elements with Hashin failure criterion. Connector elements
containing the failure behavior are introduced into the model to represent the z-yarns of the 3d woven composite.
The proposed FE model presented good agreement with experimental results in terms of residual velocity of the
impactor and to capture the damage and delamination phenomenon of the composite panel during the impact process
and makes it a valuable tool to estimate the damage under the impact process.
In this paper, continuum shell elements are used for composite laminates because of their efficiency for the
modelling of thin laminated structures as compared to 3D solid elements. Shell elements contain much of the
necessary predictive attributes of complex models while providing the computational efficiency without
compromising the authenticity of the output results. As it is evident from the results of the numerical model that the
shell model can accurately predict the response of the 3D hybrid woven structures efficiently, by that the
computational cost can be greatly reduced.
Overall, the computational strategy, shell elements for composite laminates, Hashin failure criteria for laminated
composite, cohesive contact with cohesive damage for traction separation law and connector element with failure
behavior for incorporation z-yarn, reveals excellent results to determine the impact behavior of 3D woven
composites and can be adopted for different kind of hybrid and non-hybrid composite structures in future.

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