Determination of the influence of thermo-mechanical factors on the residual stresses of cylindrical composite tubes: Experimental and computational analyses

Abstract

The well-established benefits of compressive residual stresses over the fatigue lifetime constantly motivate engineers to scrutinize these trapped stresses in mechanical/civil structures. This research deals with characterization of thermal residual stresses in fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) tubes. Three important thermo-mechanical parameters, namely “cooling temperature”, “CNT reinforcement” and “tube size” are taken into account with the aim of achieving optimum design in manufacturing of FRP tubes. The work includes experimental evaluation of residual stresses coupled with developing a MATLAB programming code and performing a thorough finite element (FE) analysis. After fabricating several hybrid FRP tubes with respect to the mentioned parameters, we measured residual stresses conducting “slitting” semi-destructive method. The impact of either of parameters is then examined and some key points are suggested regarding controlling residual stress in FRP structures. The outcomes of this work suggest that slitting method can practically provide access to the in-depth distribution and through thickness of trapped stresses in the FRP laminates with a good accuracy. It is also underscored that studied parameters could play a crucial role in creation of thermal residual stresses.