3D Thermostructural Response in Thick Laminated Composites: A Finite Element Approach

Abstract

The dynamic thermostructural response problem in thick laminated com posites is investigated employing a 3D Galerkin finite element technique. A quadratic brick based isoparametric element is designed to discretize the thermal and structural fields. The thermal model includes all modes of heat transfer, namely, conduction, convec tion and radiation. The model also incorporates external flux and internal heat generation sources. The transient dynamic thermostructural problem is solved using implicit time in tegration schemes. A 3D layered material model is proposed where the thermoclastic properties of the laminate are evaluated from those of the constituent fiber and matrix. In the example analysis, the effects of a complex thermal environment are studied on several thermostructural parameters for a host of metal matrix composites.