In-situ multiscale shear failure of a bistable composite tape-spring

Wang, Bing; Seffen, Keith A.; Guest, Simon D.; Lee, Tung Lik; Huang, Shi; Luo, Shifeng; Mi, Jiawei

Abstract

A bistable composite tape-spring (CTS) is stable in both the extended and coiled configurations, with fibres oriented at ±45°. It is light weight and multifunctional, and has attracted growing interest in shape-adaptive and energy harvesting systems in defence-, civil- and, especially aerospace engineering. The factors governing its bistability have been well-understood, but there is limited research concerning the mechanics of structural failure: here, we investigate the shear failure mechanisms in particular. We perform in-situ neutron diffraction on composite specimens using the ENGIN-X neutron diffractometer at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (STFC, UK), and shear failure is characterised at both macroscopic and microscopic scales. Elastic and viscoelastic strain evolutions at different strain levels reveal the fundamentals of micromechanical shear failure, and their temperature dependency. Multiscale shear failure mechanisms are then proposed, which will benefit the optimisation of structural design to maintain structural integrity of CTS in aerospace applications.

Citation

Wang, B., Seffen, K. A., Guest, S. D., Lee, T. L., Huang, S., Luo, S., & Mi, J. (2020). In-situ multiscale shear failure of a bistable composite tape-spring. Composites Science and Technology, 200, Article 108348. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2020.108348

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jul 7, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Aug 7, 2020
• Publication Date: Nov 10, 2020
• Deposit Date: Apr 11, 2022
• Journal: Composites Science and Technology
• Print ISSN: 0266-3538
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 200
• Article Number: 108348
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compscitech.2020.108348
• Keywords: Composite; Tape-spring; Elasticity and viscoelasticity; Neutron diffraction; Failure mechanism
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3605048
• Related Public URLs: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/307907