Abstract

Composites have proved their great potentials for many aerospace applications, where the high performance can justify the high cost. However, the brittleness of the composites has been a main drawback for many applications that require large deformation, high failure strain and extensive energy absorption before final fracture. The objective of this research is to present a solution to the brittleness of the composites in tubular form and to introduce a composite tube that shows the same strength, stiffness and failure strain as its high grade Aluminum 7075-T6 counterpart tube. One application of this research can be in the development of composite landing gear for helicopters. Up to date, almost all helicopter landing gears are made of high strength aluminum, and despite their major issues in maintenance and fabrication, aluminum landing gears have remained the only choice for the helicopter manufacturing industry. Substitution of aluminum landing gear for helicopters with a thermoplastic composite landing gear is really a challenge, but if this can be done, it would be for the first time in the world! Through this research, the mechanical behavior of flat plate Carbon AS4/PEKK is characterized, and the potential mechanisms for large deformation of composite laminates are sought. The outcomes are used to design a composite tube that shows the same strength, stiffness and deformability as its high grade aluminum counterpart. The accuracy of the design is verified through progressive failure by ANSYS analysis and experimental work. Strain Controlled Design is introduced as a new design technique to substitute for the traditional stiffness-controlled techniques whenever large deformation from composite laminates is expected. The analytical techniques for stress analysis of composite tubes are reviewed, and the cumbersomeness of the method is highlighted. Finally, a simplified technique is presented to analyze composite tubes as a sandwich panel model. The results of the analysis are compared with the ANSYS and experimental results. Agreement between three methods is demonstrated. Moreover, guidelines for the design of composite tubes that exhibit large deformation before failure are presented