Erosion of Uni-Directional Carbon-Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite—A Micromechanical Approach

Abstract

Fiber reinforced polymer composites are used in wind turbine blades and helicopter rotor blades because of higher strength to weight ratio and better fatigue resistance. However, these blades while operating in dusty environments are subjected to particulate impacts and can cause leading edge erosion affecting the performance of blades. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the mechanism of erosion in fiber reinforced polymer composites. In this study, a 3D finite element model of unidirectional carbon fiber-epoxy composite is subjected to impact by a spherical erodent particle made of steel with a velocity of 45m/s. The results indicate the influence of fiber orientation and particle impingement angle on the erosion resistance of the composite. The analysis results also capture for the first time the underlying reasons for the semi-ductile response of polymer composites to erosion.