Test problem

Fig 1 shows a laminated composite rectangular panel with a circular cutout subject to uni-axial
tension. Accurate stress analysis and progressive failure analysis (first ply failure to last ply failure ) is
requested.

The material properties used in the analysis are given in table 1
ELASTIC CONSTANTs and STRENGTH
PARAMETERs
Boron-epoxy Graphite epoxy
E
1
, youngs modulus in longitudinal direction 113.09949GPa 206.844GPa
E
2
, youngs modulus in transverse direction 52.75818 GPa 5.1711GPa
G
12
, shear modulus in xy plane 28.47843 GPa 3.10266GPa
, poisons ratio 0.45 0.25
(

)
ult
,ultimate longitudinal tensile strength 1260MPa 1500MPa
(

)
ult
,ultimate longitudinal compressive strength 2500MPa 1500MP
(

)
ult
,ultimate transverse tensile strength 61MPa 40MPa
(

)
ult
,ultimate transverse compressive strength 202MPa 246MPa
(

)
ult
,Ultimate in-plane shear strength 67MPa 68MPa
The laminate has [0/45/-45/0/90]
s
ply orientation,

Fig.1 Rectangular panel with a circular cut out (L = 0.3302m W = 0.127m, t, =0.0011684m
a=0.0127m
Finite element model

Fig.2. finite element mesh (1
st
quadrant)
Using ANSYS software and choosing shell 281 element(8 noded shell element quadrilateral
in shape and quadratic in order ). The finite element mesh shown in fig 2 has 400 elements
and 1281 nodes.
Exploiting ANSYS software post processing capabilities it is possible to display contour plots
of ply by ply stresses in the material coordinates (
1

2

12
) at bottom mid and top of each
layer in a laminate.
Strength prediction in a laminated composite structure is an order of magnitude more
complicated than stress analysis. In this study the Tsai-Wu failure criteria along with
tabulated lamina strength properties and the concept of strength ratio are used to predict the
first ply failure to last load ply failure loads. The powerful post processing capability in
ANSYS software is exploited to graphically present contour plots of ply by ply stress and
Tsai-Wu failure index.

Target solution
Source Stress concentration factor
Finite-element solution 3.5
Analytical solution 3.45
Experimental data 3.34

Results Presentation
The predicted loads from first ply failure to last ply failure are presented in
table 3
It is very interesting to note that the plies of same orientation fail at the same load.
Sequence of failure Failed ply numbers Failure loads(N/m)
1
st
5,6 348706
2
nd
1,4,7,10 358061
3
rd
2,9 463453
4
th
3,8 485195


Contour plots of tsai wu failure index at the first ply failre load (layer
number 5)

Contour plots of tsai wu failure index at the last ply failre load (layer
number 8)
Test problem 2
Fig.5 shows a Laminated Composite square plate with a Circular Cutout Under Lateral
Pressure. Accurate stress analysis and progressive failure analysis (first ply failure to last ply
failure) is requested. The plate is made of graphite epoxy composite whose elastic moduli and
strength properties are listed above. The cross ply laminate has 16 plies oriented at [0/90]
4s


Fig 5 A square plate with a circular cutout (W=80mm, a=40mm, t=2mm) subjected to lateral
pressure p.
Finite element model
Using ANSYS software and choosing shell 281 element (8 noded shell element quadrilateral
in shape and quadratic in order). The finite element mesh shown in fig 6 has 400 elements
and 1281 nodes.

The pressure loading of a plate with circular cutout deserved an explicit attention because the
hole must be considered covered and the pressure load on this cover should be transferred to
the whole boundary in a consistent way to ensure accurate stress analysis. This was
accomplished, guided by recent research by an edge bounded low modulus isotropic elastic
inclusion to model the cover.
A consistent calculation of nodal forces due to the pressure acting on every element is
accomplished by the software.
Results presentation
The predicted loads from first ply failure to last ply failure are presented in table 4
Ply failure sequence Failed ply number Pressure at which failure occurred(N/m)
1
st
1 339100
2
nd
2 343549
3
rd
16 359370
4
th
3 454694
5
th
4 481363
6
th
14 482378
7
th
5 646478
8
th
12 702888
9
th
6 757600
10
th
15 804098
11
th
9 915379
12
th
8 917938
13
th
10 931155
14
th
11 954502
15
th
7 975926
16
th
13 1124729


Contour plots of tsai wu failure index at the first ply failre load (layer
number 1)


Contour plots of tsai wu failure index at the last ply failre load (layer
number 13)

It is interesting to note that the first ply failure in layer number 1 occurs at the clamped edges
while the last ply failure is closed to the hole boundary.
Test Problem 3

The elastic moduli and strength properties used in the analysis are given in table 5

Fig 8 shows a laminated composite cylindrical shell with a circular cutout under axial
tension(R, =76.2mm, t=1.920 Cm, L= 457.2Cm, a, =19.05mm)
ELASTIC CONSTANTs and STRENGTH PARAMETERs VALUES
E
1
, youngs modulus in longitudinal direction 37.300868GPa
E
2
, youngs modulus in transverse direction 10.68694GPa
G
12
, shear modulus in xy plane 4.205828GPa
, Poissons ratio .28
(

)
ult
,ultimate longitudinal tensile strength 1062MPa
(

)
ult
,ultimate longitudinal compressive strength 610MPa
(

)
ult
,ultimate transverse tensile strength 31MPa
(

)
ult
,ultimate transverse compressive strength 118MPa
(

)
ult
,Ultimate in-plane shear strength 72MPa
Finite element model
Using ANSYS software and choosing shell 281 element (8 noded shell element quadrilateral
in shape and quadratic in order). The finite element mesh shown in fig 6 has 2800 elements
and 8599 nodes. Ply orientations are [90/0/90/0/90/0/90] and 90 ply has fibers oriented
circumferentially and 0 ply has fibers oriented axially.


Results presentation
In case of cross ply cylindrical shell laminate, all the 90 degree plies fails first one by one i.e.
ply number in the order of 1, 3, 5, and 7 and then followed by the zero degree plies in the
order of ply number 6, 4, 2.


Sequence of ply failure Failed ply numbers Ply failure load(N)
1
st
1 12734.2
2
nd
3 14803.7
3
rd
5 17675.8
4
th
7 21930.6
5
th
6 40601.8
6
th
4 45878.1
7
th
2 52201.2

Contour plots of tsai wu failure index at the first ply failre load (layer
number 1)



Contour plots of tsai wu failure index at the last ply failre load (layer
number 2)



Reff
Lakshminarayana H.V. and S.Vishwanath; A Correlation study of finite element modeling for
stress analysis of composite laminate, Journal strain analysis, pp 205-212 vol.13 1978
published.
3] Lakshminarayana H.V. and M.J.Sundareshan : stress concentration around circular cut
outs in laminated cylindrical shells, experimental investigation and finite element analysis
,Journal of Aeronautical society of India,1983,vol.35 pp 13-