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Crack Initiation Study on Aircraft Composite Rib with Semi-elliptical Surface Flaw

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Abstract

A parametric study on crack initiation was done by having different sizes of cracks at different locations in a rib section of an aircraft using finite element techniques. A semi-elliptical surface flaw in a typical Boeing-747 rib section having circular cut-out and experiencing an in-plane shear loading was considered for the analysis. A laminated composite square plate around a centrally located cut-out was selected in the wing rib for computation purpose. A delamination has been modeled in between the composite layers in the form of a semi-elliptical surface crack using node duplication technique. As there are no theoretical solutions for mixed mode loading problems, the general purpose finite element package ABAQUS was used to obtain the Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) along the crack edge. These stress intensity factor (K C) values were further compared with the fracture toughness of the material to determine the probability of crack initiation. It was observed that the modes of failure change with the dimensions of the crack and also showed a greater tendency towards the crack initiation.

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Abbreviations

K :

Stress intensity factor

K Ic :

Critical stress intensity factor for mode 1

K IIc :

Critical stress intensity factor for mode 2

K IIIc :

Critical stress intensity factor for mode 3

c :

Semi-major axis

a :

Semi-minor axis

E 1, E 2, and E 3 :

Principal Young’s moduli in fiber direction and other two transverse directions, respectively

G 12, G 13, and G 23 :

Shear moduli associated with planes 1–2, 1–3, and 2–3, respectively

µ 12, µ 13, and µ 23 :

Poisson’s ratio associated with planes 1–2, 1–3, and 2–3, respectively

σ z :

Normal stress component in out of plane direction

τ 13 and τ 23 :

Shear stress components in respective 1–3 and 2–3 planes

n :

Normal vector

q :

Local direction of virtual crack extension

W :

Elastic strain energy

σ :

Applied stress

I :

Identity matrix

k :

Stress intensity factor for auxiliary field

B :

Pre-logarithmic energy factor matrix

J :

J-integral

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amritanagar P.O, Coimbatore, 641 112, India

    V. Sivakumar, G. Bharath Kumar & Ambati Gautham

Authors
  1. V. Sivakumar
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  2. G. Bharath Kumar
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  3. Ambati Gautham
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Correspondence to V. Sivakumar.

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Sivakumar, V., Kumar, G.B. & Gautham, A. Crack Initiation Study on Aircraft Composite Rib with Semi-elliptical Surface Flaw. J Fail. Anal. and Preven. 15, 906–914 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-015-0029-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-015-0029-2

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