Session: 03-06-01 Composite Material Design and Modelling

Submission Number: 180190

An Elastoplastic Multiscale Analysis of Thermoplastic Composites With Microvoids 

Thermoplastic composite pipes (TCPs) are widely used in deep-sea engineering due to their excellent properties, but their reinforcing layers inevitably develop microvoids defects during manufacturing. Given the inherent and pronounced orthotropic anisotropy and plastic deformation of the matrix within these reinforcing layers, accurately assessing the impact of these microdefects on the pipe's structural integrity poses a significant scientific and engineering challenge. To address this, a sequential multiscale numerical analysis framework based on a representative volume element (RVE) is developed. At the microscale, a three-phase RVE comprising "fibers-matrix-microvoids" is constructed to precisely capture the nonlinear response and damage evolution of the matrix induced by the microvoids. Subsequently, the micromechanical behavior is bridged to the macroscale via a homogenization method, enabling the accurate prediction of the complex elastoplastic response of the defective laminate composite. The multiscale simulation results demonstrate that the proposed model can effectively quantify the weakening effect of microvoids on the macroscopic mechanical response of the pipe under various fiber volume fractions and microvoids contents. The analytical framework established in this study provides an efficient numerical tool for the performance prediction and structural integrity assessment of defective TCPs, holding significant theoretical guidance and engineering application value for optimizing manufacturing processes and enhancing operational reliability.

Presenting Author: Yuhao Meng Ocean Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio De Janeiro

Presenting Author Biography: The author is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Ocean Engineering at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, with research primarily focused on multi-scale analysis of thermoplastic composite pipes (TCP), micro-mechanical and representative volume element (RVE) modeling.

Authors:

Yuhao Meng Ocean Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio De Janeiro
Murilo Augusto Vaz Ocean Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio De Janeiro
Marcelo Caire Ocean Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio De Janeiro
Yaohua Fan Ocean Engineering Program, COPPE, Federal University of Rio De Janeiro