Thermo-mechanical analysis of structural elements incorporating nanocomposites

The paper presents the use of nanocompsoites in structural level components to improve their overall performance against unique composite failure modes. A multiscale approach is adopted in order to obtain the overall effective mechanical and thermal properties of the nanocomposite. Those effective properties are used in analyzing the structural components using finite element analysis. The results are demonstrated on a composite T stringer that is widely used as a stiffener for composite panels in aerospace structures. The existence of tows in the manufacturing of such components often results in delamination which reduces the structural integrity. In addition, the bondline interface between the skin and stringer is considered a hot spot where delmaination is susceptible to occur. In this study, we propose the use of nanocompsoites to address this issue and improve their overall performance. Thermal cure and temperature variation is considered in this study and its effect on the failure initiation load will be highlighted. A quantitative comparison from using various CNT weight percentages in the epoxy matrix on the initial damage is provided.