Finite Element Analysis of Composite Structures Wound by Wide Plies

Abstract

An isoparametric axisymmetrical finite element is developed for the analysis of multilayer composite structures wound by wide plies. This element takes into account the variation of angle along the width of a layer, i.e. along a given parallel between two meridian lines of a revolution structure. Evaluation of strain and stress tensors is performed in mean fiber and in extreae fibers directions of a ply; so, those extreae values give bounds of a trust interval centered on the mean direction values obtained with a classical element, presenting a constant filament direction along the width of the ply, the relative differance between stresses in aean and extreme directions can reach 20%: Moreover, the model can represent geometrical nonlinear behaviour and material nonlinearities. The influence of the variation of angle on the intralaminar degradation onset is described and different choices of degradation factors are compared on a model of a real wound structure.