Hualin Fan

Design and manufacturing of a composite lattice structure reinforced by continuous carbon fibers

New techniques have been developed to make materials with a periodic three-dimensional lattice structure. The high stiffness per unit weight and multifunction of such lattice structures make them attractive for use in aeronautic and astronautic structures. In this paper, epoxy-soaked continuous carbon fibres were first introduced to make lattice composite structures, which maximize the specific load carrying capacity. A micromechanical analysis of several designs, each corresponding to a different manufacturing route, was carried out, in order to find the optimized lattice structure with maximum specific stiffness. An intertwining method was chosen and developed as the best route to make lattice composite materials reinforced by carbon fibers. A sandwich-weaved sample with a three-dimensional intertwined lattice structure core was found to be best. The manufacturing of such a composite lattice material was outlined. In addition to a high shear strength of the core and the integral manufacturing method, the lattice sandwich structure is expected to possess better mechanical capability.

The Mechanical Properties of Hierarchical Truss-Walled Lattice Materials

To construct a hierarchical lattice structure (HLS), truss wall is introduced into ordinary lattice structure (OLS). Young’s modulus, yield strength and buckling stress of HLSs were evaluated theoretically. Failure maps of different HLSs were plotted and compared based on the theoretical analyses. It is indicated that mechanical behaviors of hexagonal HLSs made of triangular lattice walls can be greatly enhanced by the hierarchical wall structure, while properties of triangular HLSs are weakened, except the anti-buckling resistance. When HLSs are made of bending-dominated honeycomb walls, their properties will be reduced, indicating that hierarchical structure should be appropriately designed to make ultra-light structures benefit from this construction. This viewpoint is strengthened by the discussions on the performances of high order lattice structures, where only bending-dominated HLSs with stretching-dominated lattice wall benefit from the hierarchy.

Experimental investigations on the failures of woven textile sandwich panels

To reveal the deformation, strength, and failure modes of woven textile sandwich composites (WTSCs), test methods suggested by national standards were referenced and discussed to carry out flatwise and edgewise compression experiments, uniaxial stretching experiments, and three-point bending experiments according to the structural characteristics of WTSC. Strength and failure modes of WTSCs in flatwise compression and uniaxial tension were acquired. Anisotropy and size dependency of strength and failure modes of WTSC panels in edgewise compression were revealed. Strength of weft-compressed panels has few variations when the length is smaller than 60 mm and then decreases obviously when the length is over 60 mm, accompanying with the failure modes turning from crushing, fracture to buckling. Progressive crushing and bending fracture are two observed post-failure modes. Two competing shear failure modes and facesheet failure were observed in three-point bending experiments. Shear strength of the woven core of WTSC was deduced by beam flexure. To acquire facesheet failure mode by long beam flexure, the span should be above 36 times the thickness of the panel.

Buckling failure modes of one-dimensional lattice truss composite structures:

To reveal compression buckling, flexural buckling and torsional buckling of one-dimensional lattice truss composite columns, parameterized finite element modelling and theoretical analyses were carried out. Global and local buckling modes of six-node lattice truss composite columns in compression were revealed by finite element modelling. The buckling styles and the critical buckling forces depend on the column length, the constraints, and the bay length. For flexural and torsional lattice truss composite columns, local buckling is the dominant failure mode. The flexural or torsional buckling moment is related to the bay length and independent of the column length. The moment decreases when the bay length gets longer. Including all these factors, theoretical models were proposed based on equivalent column theory. These models correctly predict the buckling force or moment. Imperfection analyses indicate that the lattice truss column is sensitive to imperfections when the column fails at local buckling and non-sensitive at global buckling.

Buckling analyses of double-shell octagonal lattice truss composite structures

To reveal the compression failure modes of one-dimensional hierarchical double-shell octagonal lattice truss composite structures (DLTCSs), finite element modeling and equivalent continuum models were developed. DLTCS has three typical failure modes: (a) fracture of the strut, (b) global buckling, and (c) local buckling. Failure mode maps were constructed. It is found that column of long enough length will collapse at global buckling. When the column length decreases, the failure mode will turn to local buckling and strut fracture successively. Bay length greatly influences the buckling mode. Longer bay length could change the buckling mode from global buckling to local buckling. Compared with single-shell lattice truss composite structure, DLTCS has advantage in load carrying when the column fails at strut fracture or global buckling, while local buckling tolerance of DLTCS is smaller.