An investigation in the influence of void’s shape, distribution and size to the response of pipes during impact

Abstract

During the last two decades composite materials have been proved to be the most suitable solution for lightweight structures, mainly in Aerospace Industry. In offshore structures, pipes that are made from metals have approached the limit of their performance and due to corrosion resistance, low density and longer life-time the use of composite materials in Gas and Oil Industry has been grown, as well. This study is focused on the way that the presence of voids influences the impact response of pipes made with glass fibre reinforced polymer composites. In this study, the whole pipe is replaced with a curved section in order to reduce the time and complexity of the experimental set up and numerical simulation. Initially, ultrasonic C-Scanning will give a generic and qualitive image of the amount, the shape and distribution of the voids introduced during pipe fabrication. The specimens will then be exposed to low-velocity impact with the aim to examine how the void geometric parameters influence their mechanical behavior. Quantitative results regarding the exact void content will be extracted via resin burn-off tests. These tests will be carried out after impacts, since the former constitutes a destructive testing method. The specimens will be C-scanned to observe how impact induced damage interacts with void content. A better understanding of the process will lead to improved fabrication method, revision of pipe test standards and increased fatigue life of the pipe.

Date of Award	3 Jan 2020
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	The University of Manchester
Supervisor	Constantinos Soutis (Supervisor)