Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Predictive Methods For End Of Life Prognosis In Composites, Vamsee Vadlamudi

Theses and Dissertations

The long-term properties of continuous fiber reinforced composite materials are increasingly important as applications in airplanes, cars, and other safety critical structures are growing rapidly. The mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of composite materials are altered by the initiation and accumulation of discrete fracture events whose distribution and eventual interaction defines the limits of design, such as strength and life. There is a correlation that exists between the long term behavior of those materials under combined mechanical, thermal, and electrical fields, and the functional properties and characteristics of the composite materials that requires a fundamental understanding of the material state …