Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The purpose of this thesis is to explore the effects of carbon nanotube (CNT) integration into carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs) on fatigue behaviors occurring within use for aerospace structures. Carbon fiber reinforced plastics are commonly used within next-generation structures due to their weight saving and material properties which can be tailored to fit specific needs. Identifying factors to improve fatigue resistance and longevity within CFRPs in order to reduce the need for replacement could have a measurable beneficial impact on the use, safety and efficiency of aerospace structures. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that adding CNTs to CFRPs increases the number of fatigue cycles, but their performance under realistic loading cycles of varying amplitudes (VA) have not been fully tested. In this work, data will be analyzed using samples that were dynamically tested under varying loading cycles of VA types of loading conditions. The samples were subjected to either 90% of their static short beam strength (SBS) VA testing, 70% of their SBS VA testing or a combination of the two. The goal of this process was to identify a correlation between adding CNTs to CFRPs and increased fatigue resistance compared to samples without CNTs. Following varying amplitude testing, the stiffness of each sample was plotted compared to the cycle number needed for the sample to reach failure. Utilizing the data generated from the failed samples, “failure” was chosen as the maximum stiffness value for each plot, creating consistency in the starting and ending point during testing. Each cycle number and stiffness value were then normalized on each plot in order to ensure testing would occur on a similar scale and for ease of sample comparison. In future work, the CNT volume fraction and orientation will be changed in an effort to further increase potential fatigue resistance.
DOI: 10.2514/6.2025-97716
Language: English
Subfield: Mechanics of Materials
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4413191126