Investigation of the premature failure behavior of a cured draped hemisphere due to the deformation of microstructures of fabric composites

Abstract

The aim of this study is to estimate the mechanical behavior of cured draped fabric structures that have experienced macro and microscopic deformations. The effect of crimp angle variation of tows on compressive properties was considered to evaluate the exact failure behavior of the draped composite structures. Empirical formula for tow modulus degradation was suggested in terms of shear angle (or crimp angle) of the fabric composite. By using the suggested modulus degradation algorithm, the local mechanical properties of the draped fabric hemisphere were predicted, and the corresponding failure mode under compression was successfully estimated. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd