A numerical study on the axial crushing response of hybrid pultruded and ±45° braided tubes

• Published in: Composite structures Vol. 80; no. 2; pp. 253 - 264
• Main Authors: Han, Haipeng, Taheri, Farid, Pegg, Neil, Lu, You
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2007; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Braiders; Composites; Crushing; Energy absorber; Exact sciences and technology; Finite element; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Fracture mechanics (crack, fatigue, damage...); Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Inelasticity (thermoplasticity, viscoplasticity...); Physics; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Pultruded tube; Solid mechanics; Structural and continuum mechanics; Technology of polymers; Vibration, mechanical wave, dynamic stability (aeroelasticity, vibration control...); Braiders; Energy absorber; Pultruded tube; Crushing; Finite element; Tube; Unidirectional fiber material; Rupture; Reinforced plastics; Quasi static theory; Modeling; Hybrid composite; Composite material; Finite element method; Uniaxial compression; Energy dissipation; Fibre reinforced plastics; Axial load; Glass fiber; Energy absorption; Crush; Dynamic load; Carbon fiber; Pultrusion
• ISSN: 0263-8223; 1879-1085
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compstruct.2006.05.012

A comprehensive numerical investigation was carried out to evaluate the response and energy absorbing capacity of hybrid composite tubes made of unidirectional pultruded tube over wrapped with ±45° braided fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP). The numerical simulation characterized the crushing behaviors of these tubes subject to both quasi-static compression and axial dynamic impact loadings. Two types of braided FRP, glass and carbon fibers, were considered. Parametric studies were also conducted to examine the influence of the tube’s length, thickness and type of braid, as well as the loading conditions on the crushing behavior of the tubes. It was observed that although the pultruded tube, which had the highest stiffness among the tubes considered, produced the highest magnitude of energy absorption capacity, it exhibited a non-symmetric failure mode followed by a longitudinal splitting. On the other hand, the hybrid tubes exhibited a more desirable, accordion type failure mode, therefore they are considered to be more suitable candidates as energy absorbing structural members in service conditions.