Simplified Approach for Parameter Selection and Analysis of Carbon and Glass Fiber Reinforced Composite Beams

Abstract

In this study, a simplified approach that can be used for the selection of the design parameters of carbon and glass fiber reinforced composite beams is presented. Important design parameters including fiber angle orientation, laminate thickness, materials of construction, cross-sectional shape, and mass are considered. To allow for the integrated selection of these parameters, structural indices and efficiency metrics are developed and plotted in design charts. As the design parameters depend on mode of loading, normalized structural metrics are defined for axial, bending, torsional, and combined bending-torsional loading conditions. The design charts provide designers with an accurate and efficient approach for the determination of stiffness parameters and mass of laminated composite beams. Using the design charts, designers can readily determine optimum fiber direction, number of layers in a laminate, cross-sectional shape, and materials that will provide the desired mass and stiffness. The laminated composite beams were also analyzed through a detailed finite element analysis study. Three-dimensional solid elements were used for the finite element modelling of the beams. To confirm design accuracy, numerical results were compared with close-form solutions and results obtained from the design charts. To show the effectiveness of the design charts, the simplified method was utilized for increasing the bending and torsional stiffness of a laminated composite robotic arm. The results show that the proposed approach can be used to accurately and efficiently analyze composite beams that fall within the boundaries of the design charts.

Static and Vibration Analyses of a Composite CFRP Robot Manipulator

“…The "SSS" beam had a lower deflection and a higher safety ratio, whereas the "III" beam had a higher natural frequency and a lower weight. As demonstrated in [11], the "SSS" beam had a smaller angle of twist under torsional loading than the "III" beam. Therefore, both cross-sections were suitable for the manipulator's top link.…”

“…As mentioned in the Introduction, eight layups were selected to evaluate the effectiveness of CFRP beams in terms of the robot static and free-vibration performance. For this purpose, the effects of the layup on the mechanical properties of the CFRP beams were investigated by following the approaches of Moazed et al [11] and Ding et al [17]. These references investigated the role of the layup in the design of CFRP beams to meet high bending resistance and lightweight design criteria.…”

“…These references investigated the role of the layup in the design of CFRP beams to meet high bending resistance and lightweight design criteria. In these studies, the effect of increasing the fiber direction in the angle-ply layups (L1 to L3 layups) [11] and adding plies with fibers at 45 • and 90 • (L4 to L8 layups) on the beam's static and free-vibration performance [17] was studied. For the mentioned 5-DOF robot, the top link's bending deflection had the greatest effect on the sensors' stability; thus, calculating the equivalent Young's elastic modulus (E x ) in the longitudinal direction was of interest.…”

“…Thin-walled structures can be made of steel, aluminum alloy (AA) [1,2], and composites [3][4][5]; AA and steel beams can also be reinforced by composite materials [6,7]. Among the wide area of potential applications of thin-walled structures, composite structures are used in the automotive [8,9], aerospace [10], and robotic industries [11]. Many factors, including the material properties, the cross-sectional shape, and the loading conditions, could affect the static and free-vibration performance of these structures [12,13].…”

Editorial for the Special Issue on Carbon Fiber Composites

“…In addition to studying these parameters, different strategies have been discovered and used to prepare the composites [24][25][26]. For instance, Moazed et al developed and plotted structural indices and efficiency metrics in design charts in order to better select parameters [27]. In contrast to the traditional structural function, Li et al used the carbon fiber composite for catalysis [28].…”