Recyclable, lightweight materials using advanced processing techniques are essential for the sustainable development of future wind turbine blades. Thermoplastic composite sandwich structures were developed to satisfy this need. This study presents a novel continuous approach for fabricating recoverable fully thermoplastic composite honeycomb sandwich structures. Finite element models of the honeycomb and sandwich plate, accounting for surface-to-surface contact between cells, were developed. Uniaxial compression analysis was performed on honeycombs to investigate their failure modes and energy absorption characteristics. Furthermore, the deformation mode and load-bearing capacity of thermoplastic composite honeycomb sandwich panels were examined under out-of-plane compression and shear loads. Our comprehensive finite element model, incorporating the intricate contact behavior of individual cells, demonstrated a remarkable concordance with experimental outcomes. Insightful predictions were given regarding the correlation between contact areas and load-bearing capacities.
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