A hybrid method to determine individual stresses in orthotropic composites using only measured isochromatic data

Ability to determine the individual stresses photoelastically in orthotropic composites from isochromatic data, but without employing isoclinics or isopachics, is developed and demonstrated. This new capability is achieved by combining isochromatic information, complex stress functions and numerical nonlinear least-squares concepts into a new and effective hybrid method for stress analyzing composite materials. Unlike previous methods of photo-orthotropic-elasticity, the present technique simultaneously smoothes the recorded isochromatic data, provides reliable boundary information, and separates the isochromatics into individual stress components throughout the area of interest. The method is illustrated by evaluating the three individual stresses throughout a region adjacent to a hole in a uniaxially loaded orthotropic composite plate from the measured isochromatics.