Thermoelastic Stress Analysis for composite laminates: A numerical investigation

A Finite Element model of the thermoelastic effect in orthotropic composite laminates subject to cyclic loading is developed. A meso-scale approach is employed to model the thermoelastic effect at the lamina level and the through-thickness heat transfer. The model proved itself capable of modelling the dependency of the thermoelastic response on the loading frequency, presence of a superficial resin-rich layer, material system, and layup. Results show that a steady state response is reached almost immediately, after only a few loading cycles, and that in some cases, even for very high loading frequencies, adiabatic conditions are never fully onset. Numerical predictions also confirm that the presence of a superficial resin-rich layer strongly affects the through-the-thickness heat transfer and the measured thermoelastic signal.