A finite element model of fibre metal laminate (FML) fuselage was developed in order to evaluate its impact response under survivable crash event. To create a reliable crash finite element (FE) model of FML fuselage, a ‘building block approach’ is adapted. It involves a series of validation and verification tasks in order to establish reliable material and damage models, verified impact model with structural instability and large displacement and verified individual fuselage structure under crash event. This novel development methodology successfully produced an FE model to simulate crash of both aluminium alloy and FML fuselage under survivable crash event using ABAQUS/Explicit. On the other hand, this allows the author to have privilege to evaluate crashworthiness of fuselage that implements FML fuselage skin for the whole fuselage section for the first time in aircraft research field and industry. The FE models consist of a two station fuselage section with one meter longitudinal length which is based on commercial Boeing 737 aircraft. For FML fuselage, the classical aluminium alloy skin was replaced by GLARE grade 5-2/1. The impact response of both fuselages was compared to each other and the results were discussed in terms of energy dissipation, crushing distance, failure modes, failure mechanisms and acceleration response at floor-level. Overall, it was observed that FML fuselage responded similarly to aluminium alloy fuselage with some minor differences which conclusively gives great confidence to aircraft designer to use FML as fuselage skin for the whole fuselage section. In terms of crushing distance, FML fuselage skin contributed to the failure mechanisms of the fuselage section that lead to higher crushing distance than in aluminium alloy fuselage. The existence of various failure modes within FML caused slight differences from the aluminium fuselage in terms of deformation process and energy dissipation. These complex failure modes could potentially be manipulated to produce future aircraft structure with better crashworthiness performance.

Composite materials with laminated structure provide advantages which are utilised during component design. Low density, temperature and chemical stability are the profitable properties predetermining application of ceramic laminates. The main obstacle for wide spread of ceramic materials is their inherent brittleness. Therefore, in this thesis, the crack propagation in ceramics laminates has been extensively studied. Laminated structures with various volume fractions of components (alumina and zirconia) were prepared by electrophoretic deposition. Evaluation of crack propagation through the interface and determination of basic mechanical properties was conducted on the basis of extensive literature search. Crack deflection originated in both presence of internal stresses and differences in elastic modulus during the crack interface passing was monitored. A special type of specimen geometry was employed with the aim to set arbitrary angle between crack and interface. It was experimentally found that the degree of crack deflection is dependent on entering angle and volume fraction of components. Higher crack deflection was already found in the bulk of the test piece comparing to the test piece surface. The 3D fracture surface reconstruction generated using laser confocal microscopy was used in this detailed crack propagation study. Further basic elastic and strength characteristics of laminates were determined and compared to those obtained from monolithic materials. The validity of the mix rule for elastic characteristics was confirmed by comparing of elastics modulus. The most reliable method for elastic modulus determination was marked the dynamic resonance method due to low scatter and consistency in measurement. The flexural strength of all laminates tends to be close to the flexural strength of the weakest component. Therefore the mix rule is not applicable for flexural strength estimation on the contrary of elastic characteristics. The change of component volume fraction leads only to change of flexural strength scatter. Thanks to gained knowledge about crack propagation and basic characteristic determination will be possible to design ceramic laminates more efficiently for given needs of application.

In the diploma thesis, an overview of the existing literature focused on the thermoplastic co-extrusion method was worked out and based on the findings, extrusion of the monolayer and homogenous bodies from ZrO2, Al2O3, ZTA a ATZ was studied. For thermoplastic extrusion the capillary rheometer was modified and the nozzle was designed and fabricated. Applying the co-extrusion method, homogenous ceramic rods and monolayer rods in structure core/layer: ZrO2/Al2O3, ZrO2/ATZ and ZTA/Al2O3 were fabricated. In monolayer rods, the interface quality and defects that originate during preparation were evaluated. Technological parameters and properties of homogenous rods were used to rate the structure and defects in monolayer rods. Monolayer rods ZrO2/ATZ and ZTA/Al2O3 with 2.5 mm diameter and 45 mm length (containing small defects) were prepared by thermoplastic co-extrusion.

Within the past few decades a new technology has emerged using Fiber Reinforced Polymers (FRP) to rehabilitate and retrofit reinforced concrete (RC) structures. In FRP shear strengthening applications it is largely recognized that debonding is the prevailing failure mode. FRP debonding typically occurs prematurely as a brittle failure mode that limits the efficiency of the strengthening technique. No systematic tests have been conducted to investigate the capacity gained by anchoring FRP laminates to RC elements in shear applications. The objective of this research program was to study the effects of anchoring FRP laminates to RC members with FRP anchors thereby delaying or potentially eliminating debonding of FRP sheets from the concrete surface. FRP anchors used in this research were made from fibers used as part of FRP sheets that get bundled into a roll with a fanned upper end of the anchor allowing the fibers to be splayed over the FRP sheet. A single shear pull test experiment was developed to study the effects of anchoring FRP laminates using FRP anchors with varying anchor diameters, lengths, and patterning. The results of the experimental portion of this research project were used in combination with finite element analyses to develop models for anchored FRP sheets that can be used in design of shear strengthening applications.

Over the past three decades the use of externally bonded fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) materials for structural strengthening applications has become an accepted and widely used method. A primary concern of FRP structural strengthening systems is that the FRP often debonds from the concrete well before the load capacity of the FRP material is reached. In addition, debonding failures are often brittle and occur with little warning. Past research concluded that fastening FRP sheets with FRP anchors is an effective method for delaying or preventing debonding failures. However, there is a clear lack of research pertaining to fastening FRP sheets with FRP anchors, and a corresponding lack of design guidance. The primary objective of this research program was to better understand the behavior of bonded FRP sheets that are secured with FRP anchors to aid in future development of design recommendations of this anchorage system. This thesis deals with carbon fiber unidirectional sheets applied using the wet layup system. Design parameters that were investigated include: manufacturer of the FRP materials, unanchored and anchored sheets, number of anchor rows and spacing between rows, number of sheet plies (single or double), and length of bonded sheet behind the anchors. A total of sixteen specimens were tested. Experimental results show that FRP anchorage systems are very effective in increasing load capacity by delaying debonding. Finite element models were also developed of anchored and unanchored bonded FRP sheets.

This thesis introduces new revolute and torsional lamina emergent mechanism (LEM) flexure designs that are suited for use in metals. Previous LEM flexures have been designed for use in highly elastic materials, such as polymers. In extending LEM flexure designs to metals, a LEM flexure design criteria is also introduced. The LEM flexure criteria is based on relative performance between the LEM flexure and a performance datum which the LEM flexure must improve upon. This performance datum, or benchmark, is a section of lamina that is of the same overall length, width, and thickness as the LEM flexure. An analysis of the revolute and torsional metal LEM flexures, based on the LEM flexure criteria, is performed and both are found to successfully meet the criteria. A brief comparative performance study is also carried out between a basic crank-slider mechanism to which the revolute and torsional metal LEM flexures have and have not been applied. The revolute and torsional metal LEM flexures are found to improve the crank-slider performance.

Accurate mechanical analysis of composite structures is necessary for the prediction of laminate behavior. Cylindrical composite tubes are a mainstay in many structural applications. The fundamental design of circular composite cross-sections necessitates the development of a comprehensive composite lamination theory. A new analytical method is developed to characterize the behavior of thin-walled composite cylindrical tubes using a modified plate theory. A generated numerical solver can predict properties such as axial stiffness, bending stiffness, layer stresses, and layer strains in composite tubes subjected to combined mechanical loading and thermal effects. The model accounts for the curvature by transforming and translating the material in-plane lamina properties over a global reference coordinate system. A MATLAB-based solver is used to determine the lamina stiffness and stress outcomes with adjustable parameters, including elastic material properties, thermal coefficients, tubing radius, the orientation of fibers, and the ply stacking sequence. The results are then validated using a FE model developed in ABAQUS using a simple quadrature S4R element type. Parametric case studies confirm the validity of the analytical model by accounting for different ply orientations, stacking sequence, and thermal, mechanical loading.

Transverse ply cracking often leads to the loss of stiffness and reduction in thermal expansion coefficients. This paper presents the thermoelastic degradation of general cross-ply laminates, containing transverse ply cracks, subjected to biaxial extension, bending and thermal loading. The stress and displacement fields are calculated by using the state space equation method [Zhang D, Ye JQ, Sheng HY. Free-edge and ply cracking effect in cross-ply laminated composites under uniform extension and thermal loading. Compos Struct [in press].]. By this approach, a laminated plate may be composed of an arbitrary number of orthotropic layers, each of which may have different material properties and thickness. The method takes into account all independent material constants and guarantees continuous fields of all interlaminar stresses across interfaces between material layers. After introducing the concept of the effective thermoelastic properties of a laminate, the degradations of axial elastic moduli, Poisson¿s ratios, thermal expansion coefficients and flexural moduli are predicted and compared with numerical results from other methods or available test results. It is found that the theory provides good predictions of the stiffness degradation in both symmetric and antisymmetric cross-ply laminates. The predictions of stiffness reduction in nonsymmetric cross-ply laminates can be used as benchmark test for other methods.

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The thermal management of electric machines is investigated with the application of techniques to a Switched Reluctance Machine and a high-speed Switched Reluctance Machine. Two novel concepts for said management of a Switched Reluctance Machine are proposed and developed: Inter-Laminate Cooling and a Continuous Toroidal Winding. The Inter-Laminate Cooling concept is developed with application to an iron core inductor which serves as a proxy for the electric machine. The experimental results confirmed the capability of the method, expressed by the effectiveness, which defines the performance measure of the applied cooling method; a concept which itself is equally applicable to other cooling methods that may be applied to any electric machine. The effectiveness also describes the gain in allowable input power to the machine which is realized to reach the same thermal limit versus the case without Inter-Laminate Cooling. The Inter-Laminate Cooling was not applied in experimental test to a Switched Reluctance Machine due to the present economic and fabrication limitations. The Continuous Toroidal Winding concept, originally conceived to permit the consideration of a fluid capillary core type of winding to enhance machine cooling, is developed to allow for peripheral cooling of the machine windings and end windings. The Continuous Toroidal Winding version of the Switched Reluctance Machine is investigated for both its thermal and electrical performance in the context of a machine that is equivalent electromagnetically to its conventional counterpart. The Continuous Toroidal Winding Switched Reluctance Machine was found to perform thermally as tested, in a manner superior to that of the conventional machine where the Toroidal machine was simulated and researched at an equivalent level of operation to the conventional machine. The electrical performance of the Toroidal Switched Reluctance Machine although supportive of the simulation analysis used to develop the machine, was not fully conclusive. This may have been due to problematic iron cores used in the construction of the experimental machines. The application of the Inter-Laminate Cooling method to a Switched Reluctance Machine is considered on an analytical basis for the special case of a High Speed Switched Reluctance Machine and found to be of net positive benefit as the machine’s iron losses are dominant over its copper losses. Application of the Inter-Laminate Cooling method to a lower speed machine, whilst beneficial, is not sufficient to significantly impact the temperature of the machine’s windings such that it would offset the loss of specific torque and power. As such, Inter-Laminate Cooling is only applicable where the net benefit is positive overall; in that the gain in input power realized is sufficient to overcome the loss of specific power and torque which will occur due to the increased machine volume. The “effectiveness” and “gain” approach for the evaluation of cooling methods applied to electric machines is a concept which should be adopted to aid in the comparative understanding of the performance of myriad different cooling methods being applied to electric machines both in research and practice, of which there is only minimal understanding. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)