Multiscale Finite Element Analysis of Delamination Growth in a Double Cantilever Beam Specimen Made of Woven Fabric Composite

Abstract

Delamination growth in a double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen made of a five harness satin weave fabric composite is simulated by a multiscale finite element model in order to provide a better understanding of toughening mechanism of fabric composites. To accomplish this, a meso-scale model of five harness satin weave fabric composite is placed at the delamination zone in order to model the toughening caused by the fabric structure. R-curves and load-displacement curves from the analyses are compared with those of experiments which agree with the lower bound of experimental results. The numerical results revealed two major types of toughening mechanisms: 1) inter-yarn locking causing stress relaxation at delamination front 2) the creation of sub-surfaces via weft yarn bridging which is observed after the delamination grows. By including and observing these two toughening mechanisms, a more realistic simulation of delamination in fabric composites is achieved.