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Eingeladener Vortrag
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Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) are more and more used in modern civil aircrafts. These days the whole fuselage is made of this material (B787; A350). Due to strict certification standards the normal in-service loading gives a low stress level compared to the static and even the fatigue strength of the material. Hence CFRP are assumed to have an infinite life. To evaluate this assumption, fatigue tests on CFRP-specimens were performed up to 108 load cycles and the first inter-fibre failure was evaluated non-destructively by accompanying Xray-refraction topography. A tensile testing machine was integrated in a small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) setup. X-ray refraction topography was performed while the CFRP samples were tensile loaded. This non-destructive technique enables the detection of micro-cracking and inter-fibre failure especially for CFRP. For Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastic (GFRP) X-ray refraction and in-situ loading has already been successfully used. The increase of inner surfaces due to inter fibre failure was measured as a function of the stress state. Fatigue tests were performed at and below the limit of inter-fibre failure strength. State of the art is to assume the failure of the samples under cyclic loading as the fatigue life. Accompanying non-destructive X-ray refraction measurements reflects the damage state and enables to trace its evolution even if the total failure of the specimens does not occur. This investigation technique is of high interest to give the engineer a design value of infinite life which is practically often reached due to knock down factors of certification standards. Finally the infinite life was found for cyclic fatigue loaded CFRP-samples even under high inter fibre transverse and shear loading investigated up to 108 load cycles.
Cyclic fatigue behavior of glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin at ambient and elevated temperatures
(2018)
The fatigue behavior of ±45° glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin under cyclic mechanical and constant thermal loading is investigated in this study. Tests at three different temperature levels in the range 296 K to 343 K have been performed in order to create S-N curves for each temperature level. The specimen damage is measured in-situ using optical grayscale analysis. The characteristic damage state (CDS) is evaluated for each specimen. It is shown that the point of CDS is suitable as a failure criterion to compare the resulting S-N curves. With micromechanical formulations, the temperature-dependent matrix effort is calculated for each stress-temperature level. In terms of matrix effort, the longest fatigue life is reached at high temperatures, while, in terms of stress, the lowest fatigue life is reached at the highest temperatures.
3D structural investigations are described by X-ray laminography studies of sandwich shell segments, made of a PVC foam core, covered by non-crimp fabric glass fibre composite lay-ups processed by vacuum assisted resin infusion of epoxy. The specific scope of this study is to image transversal flaws within the foam core (joints) and of single ply overlaps. Test flaws were purposely implemented in order to simulate typical failure under cyclic load. In a dedicated test rig for shell structures, the flaw evolution/propagation is monitored by thermography and optical 3D inspection of deformation. Due to the unfavourable preconditions for classical computed tomography as of large aspect ratio, the samples were investigated by coplanar translational laminography. Its limited range of observation angles of ± 45°, results in anisotropic artefacts about the normal to the sample surface, but the typical flaws are well visualized in the as-prepared state, in a state of early damage, and in the repaired state.
Um den sicheren Betrieb von Windkraftanlagen zu gewährleisten, werden Rotorblätter nach der Fertigung und nach Reparatur mit verschiedenen zerstörungsfreien Verfahren auf Schaden untersucht. Bei der Fertigung von Blattschalen, die in einer Sandwich-Schalenbauweise gefertigt werden, entstehen Imperfektionen, die unter Belastung zu großen Rissen führen können. Zur Prüfung von Blattschalen wird unter anderem Ultraschallprüfung in Kontakttechnik eingesetzt. Um den Wartungsaufwand von Ultraschallanlagen zu reduzieren und um manche Kompositstrukturen vor Koppelmittel zu schützen, wird die Anwendung von Luftultraschall erforscht. Insbesondere große Fortschritte gibt es im Bereich der Entwicklung neuer Wandler.
In diesem Beitrag berichten wir über die Luftultraschallprüfung von Schalen für Rotorblätter. Es wurden typische Sandwichschalenstrukturen hergestellt und mit einem eigenentwickelten Schalenprüfstand unter simulierter Betriebsbeanspruchung belastet. Die in den Schalenprüfkörpern entstandenen Schäden wurden außerhalb des Prüfstandes mit Luftultraschall in Durchschallung untersucht. Es wurden fokussierende Wandler auf Basis von Ferroelektreten entwickelt und für diese Prüfungen eingesetzt. Mit zusätzlicher elektrischer Vorspannung konnte die Empfindlichkeit der Empfänger deutlich erhöht werden. Die nach dem Lastwechsel entstandenen Schäden in den Rotorblattschalen waren eindeutig zu detektieren.
Localized patches are a cost- and time-effective method for repairing fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sandwich wind turbine rotor blade shells. To increase the understanding of their effect on the fatigue of the blades, this study examines the effect of various layup methods of localized repair patches on the structural integrity of composite sandwich structures. Manufactured with the vacuum-assisted resin infusion (VARI) process, the shell test specimens are produced as a curved structure with glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) sandwiching a polyvinyl chloride (PVC) foam core. Patch repairs are then introduced with varying layup techniques, and material properties are examined with cyclic fatigue tests. The transition region between patch and parent material is studied in greater detail with finite element method (FEM) simulations, with a focus on the effect of fiber orientation mismatch. Damage onset, crack development, and eventual failure are monitored with in-situ non-destructive testing methods to develop a robust understanding of the effects of repair concepts on material stiffness and strength.
A shell test bench was developed at BAM 5.3 which allows for static and fatigue testing of curved fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) structures, during which in-situ the damage state can be non-destructively inspected by thermography and strain-field measurement techniques. Sandwich shell specimens with typical wind turbine blade manufacturing defects were designed and tested. The tested imperfections show a fairly significant reduction (up to 90%) of the shell test specimens‘ lifetime, depending on the type of imperfection. Using the in-situ NDT methods incorporated in the shell test bench, the location and cycle time of the initial defects and the damage evolution was investigated.
A shell test bench was developed at BAM 5.3 which allows for static and fatigue testing of curved fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) structures, during which in-situ the damage state can be non-destructively inspected by thermography and strain-field measurement techniques. Sandwich shell specimens with typical wind turbine blade manufacturing defects were designed and tested. The tested imperfections show a fairly significant reduction (up to 90%) of the shell test specimens‘ lifetime, depending on the type of imperfection. Using the in-situ NDT methods incorporated in the shell test bench, the location and cycle time of the initial defects and the damage evolution was investigated.
Der Fachbereich Mechanik der Polymerwerkstoffe befasst sich mit der Charakterisierung der mechanischen Eigenschaften und der Degradation von Polymeren und Faserverbundwerkstoffen, die in hochbeanspruchten, sicherheitsrelevanten Konstruktionen wie jenen des Flugzeugbaus, des Automobilbaus und der Windenergie-Industrie eingesetzt werden. Auch die Analyse der chemischen und physikalischen Eigenschaften von Polymeren zählt zu unserem Aufgabenbereich.
Das Spektrum reicht von der statischen Festigkeit über die Betriebsfestigkeit, die Messung bruchmechanischer und viskoelastischer Parameter bis hin zur Formulierung molekularer Schädigungsmechanismen.
Even for the basic measurements of material data for design and engineering of composite structures there is a need to upgrade standards. With a new shear frame test rig more precise values can be obtained.
With advanced methods in the research on the fatigue behaviour of FRP it was found a load level of infinite life for GFRP and CFRP. This is in the range of typical strain values of airliners and rotor blades in normal operation.
Statistically the mean time between damage events on rotor blades is 6 years (Deutscher Windenergie Report 2006). Due to imperfection in the production the shell structures get cracks after a few years fare before the designed life time. A shell test rig was built at BAM for efficient research on the effects of defects in production.
Test blades of ~10m are an efficient way for SHM research and evaluation of NDT-methods and blade geometry.
Statistically the mean time between damage events on rotor blades is 6 years (Deutscher Windenergie Report 2006). Due to imperfection in the production the shell structures get cracks after a few years fare before the designed life time. A shell test rig was built at BAM for efficient research on the effects of defects in production.
In-situ and ex-situ NDT give a better understanding from degradation processes in composite materials.
With advanced methods in the research on the fatigue behaviour of FRP it was found a load level of infinite life for GFRP and CFRP. This is in the range of typical strain values of airliners and rotor blades in normal operation.
Due to the fibre-composite nature NDT techniques have to be suitable to a wide length scale to image micro cracking as well as bigger defects. Therefore different techniques have to be applied and developed.
The common fatigue life certification of aircrafts according to the certification Standards 23 and 25 follows a building block approach. Static tests at room temperature as well in humid and high temperature conditions are done on the coupon level. Additionally, a full-scale static and fatigue test must be performed on the complete airframe (minimum on the fuselage together with the wing). For each type-certificate the complete building block approach test program must be performed.
Traditionally in Germany, the certification of sailplanes (Certification Standard 22) follows rather a family concept. A shared data base was created over the last 50 years based upon a large number of material testing. In addition to static tests at room temperature and hot-humid conditions, fatigue tests are also done on the coupon level. Additional static and fatigue tests were done on complex structures such as spar-beams, fuselages and full-scale wing structures. However, for each type-certificate, only static tests should be performed in full-scale. This concept is determined by the certification memorandum CM-S-006 “Composite Lightweight Aircraft” 2017.
The presentation was given as an introduction to the discussion about the future expectations and developments of the EASA concerning the type-certification of lightweight aircrafts according to CS22 at the OSTIVE Sailplane Development Panel Meeting at the EASA in Cologne on the 11th of October 2019.
Diese DIN SPEC legt ein Verfahren für die Prüfung von unverstärkten und partikel- und kurzfaserverstärkten Kunststoffen mittels Zug-Druck-Schubprüfung fest. Dieses Verfahren findet Anwendung zur Bestimmung der Schwingfestigkeit im Bereich von 103 bis 107 Schwingspielen und der Nachgiebigkeiten unter statischer Belastung sowie der Zugfestigkeit. Alle Beanspruchungen und berechneten Größen sind nennspannungs-basiert.
Grundsätzlich besteht bei Rohrprobekörpern auch die Möglichkeit eine Beanspruchung in Längs- und in Umfangsrichtung durch Innendruck zu erzeugen. Dies wird in dieser Spezifikation nicht berücksichtigt, um die Anwendung überschaubar zu halten. Bei Rohrproben mit ausgeprägter Querschnittsverkleinerung (z. B. der Prüfkörper Typ B), entsteht eine Umfangsspannung auch aufgrund einer Zugkraft (siehe Anhang C). Die Umfangsspannung muss dann mittels FEA lokal berechnet werden.
Das Verfahren gilt für rohrförmige Prüfkörper deren spezifische Form den Anforderungen der Werkstoff-prüfung und bei Kurzfaserverstärkung einer hohen Vorzugsausrichtung in Probenlängsrichtung genügen.
Diese DIN SPEC gilt nicht für endlosfaserverstärkte Kunststoffe. Wegen der vollkommen unterschiedlichen Fertigungstechnologien und der zu erwartenden hohen Prüflasten, sind hier die Anforderungen an die Prüfkörpergeometrie gesondert zu betrachten. Es wird nicht zielführend sein, beide Werkstoffklassen in einer Norm zu behandeln.
The described investigation of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastics (CFRP) documents that damage evolution can be observed by means of X-ray refractography. Comparative investigations with synchrotron technique on CFRP and grey-scale analysis on glass fibre-reinforced-plastics (GFRP) confirm these results. Moreover it was found that the fracture mechanical properties of the matrix system influence damage nucleation and propagation in the laminate during static and fatigue loads. Single-step fatigue tests were carried out on Laminates with RIM135 and LY556 matrix systems made from non-crimped fabric (NCF) or twill weave in different fibre orientations. The damage to the LY556 laminates was characterized by laminate cracks growing rapidly over the whole specimen width, whereas the damage on the RIM135 laminates was characterized by an earlier onset of micro-cracking followed by laminate cracks. The specimens were fatigued up to 108 (very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) regime) load cycles. S-N-curves of damage initiation were drawn and boundaries were identified for endurance within the VHCF regime. A phenomenology based model focusing on matrix stress was applied to reproduce the first inter-fibre failure (IFF) under static and fatigue loads.
Modern wind turbine rotor blades consist of sandwich shell segments made from glass fiber reinforced polymers. During manufacturing, defects can arise which could lead to failure of the whole component under dynamic mechanical and thermal loads. Hence during operation defects can arise which, if detected, can be repaired locally and in-situ by applying repair patches instead of taking the whole rotor blade down and repair it remotely. This method is much more time and cost effective, since the shut-down time of the energy converter is limited to a minimum. These repair patches can, however, also lead to new defects if not applied optimally. Therefore, it is necessary to control the quality of the repair patches to ensure the best possible restoration of structural integrity of the component. As a rotor blade is an object with a large aspect ratio, X-ray laminography is predestined to provide 3D information of the objective volume. To enhance the amount of information gained from laminographic reconstruction, we use in this study a photon counting and energy discriminating X-ray detector and apply a material decomposition algorithm to the data. By inherently separating the incident spectra within the detection process into two distinct energy bins, the basis material decomposition can provide material resolved images. Choosing glass and epoxy resin as basis materials and numerically solving the inverse dual-energy equation system, the reconstructed laminographic datasets contain highly valuable information about the distribution of the basis materials within the structure. Furthermore, cross- artifacts arising from the limited angle of the projection data can be reduced by this method which allows to investigate structures that were hidden underneath the artefacts.
Moderne Segelflugzeuge sind voll-verklebte tragende FKV-Strukturen. Über die Schwingfestigkeit der Faser-Kunststoff-Verbunde (FKV) und die Lebensdauerabschätzung dieser Werkstoffklasse auf Basis verschiedener Lastspektren wurden insbesondere von Christoph Kensche verschiedenen Arbeiten durchgeführt und auch auf dem Symposium für Segelflugzeugentwicklung vorgestellt. Hingegen ist die Betriebsfestigkeit von Struktur-Klebungen im Anwendungsbereich der CS22 vergleichsweise wenig untersucht worden.
Über die Jahre wurden in verschiedenen Projekten immer wieder Probleme in Struktur-Klebungen (u.a. Betriebsbelastungsversuche an Versuchs-Holmen) identifiziert, analysiert und spezielle Prüfverfahren weiter entwickelt (Projekt „Tragflügel neuer Technologie für die allgemeine Luftfahrt“, FK SIF765). Im Rahmen des LuFo-Vorhabens GeAviBoo (General Aviation Booster) wurde in zwei Arbeitspaketen das Thema erneut aufgegriffen und Betriebsbelastungsversuche an Klebproben durchgeführt. Im Rahmen des Vortrages werden die Erkenntnisse der letzten 10 Jahre aufbereitet und die neusten Ergebnisse vorgestellt.
Proben mit einer Mittelkerbe aus Polyamid 66 mit 35% Gewichtsan-teil an Kurzglasfaser (PA-GF35) wurden im Spritzgießverfahren hergestellt und in einem ungeschädigten und durch Schwingbeanspruch geschädigten Zustand mittels Röntgenverfahren charakterisiert. Sowohl die Faserorientierungsverteilung als auch die Riss-/Mikrorissbildung wurden mit der Röntgenrefraktionstopographie in einem SAXS-Aufbau und dem Diffraction-Enhanced-Imaging am Synchrotron (BESSY II) analysiert. Beide Verfahren spiegeln in guter Übereinstimmung die Charakteristiken dieser Werkstoffklasse in Bezug auf die Fertigungsqualität und die Schädigungsme-chanismen wider.
Proben mit einer Mittelkerbe aus Polyamid 66 mit 35% Gewichtsan-teil an Kurzglasfaser (PA-GF35) wurden im Spritzgießverfahren hergestellt und in einem ungeschädigten und durch Schwingbeanspruch geschädigten Zustand mittels Röntgenverfahren charakterisiert. Sowohl die Faserorientierungsverteilung als auch die Riss-/Mikrorissbildung wurden mit der Röntgenrefraktionstopographie in einem SAXS-Aufbau und dem Diffraction-Enhanced-Imaging am Synchrotron (BESSY II) analysiert. Beide Verfahren spiegeln in guter Übereinstimmung die Charakteristiken dieser Werkstoffklasse in Bezug auf die Fertigungsqualität und die Schädigungsme-chanismen wider.
Die Betriebsbeanspruchung für Rotorblätter ist aus Messungen bekannt. Schäden an Rotorblättern treten im Betrieb meistens an der Blattschale nach 4-5Jahren, weit vor der projektierten Lebensdauer von 20 Jahren auf und führen zum Anlagenstillstand, wenn sie nicht repariert werden. Mittels eines an der BAM entwickelten FKV-Sandwich-Schalenprüfkörpern kann effizient die Betriebs-festigkeit von Imperfektionen und Reparaturstellen studiert werden. Fertigungsbedingte Imperfektionen (Lagenstöße, Schaumstöße) verkürzen die Lebensdauer ggf. erheblich und führen zu Reparaturen. Experimentell konnte gezeigt werden, dass ein(e) aus-reparierte(r) Schaden/Imperfektion die Betriebsbeanspruchung deutlich besser erträgt, als die schadhafte Struktur.Die numerische Betriebsfestigkeitsvorhersage für FKV ist Gegenstand der Forschung. Gleiches gilt für die Abschätzung der Lebensdauerverkürzung infolge bekannter Fertigungsabweichungen.
Common air-coupled transducers for non-destructive testing consist of a piezocomposite material and several matching layers. Better acoustical matching to air is achieved by transducers based on charged cellular polypropylene (PP). This material has about hundred times lower acoustic impedance than any piezocomposite, having about the same piezoelectric coefficient. The piezoelectric properties of cellular PP are caused by the polarization of air cells. Alternatively, a ferroelectret receiver can be understood as a capacitive microphone with internal polarization creating permanent internal voltage. The sensitivity of the receiver can be increased by applying additional bias voltage. We present an ultrasonic receiver based on cellular PP including a high-voltage module providing bias voltage up to 2 kV. The application of bias voltage increased the signal by 12 to 15 dB with only 1 dB increase of the noise.
This receiver was combined with a cellular PP transmitter in through transmission to inspect several test specimens consisting of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer face sheets and a porous closed-cell PVC core. These test specimens were inspected before and after load. Fatigue cracks in the porous PVC core and some fatigue damage in the face sheets were detected. These test specimens were originally developed to emulate a rotor blade segment of a wind power plant. Similar composite materials are used in lightweight aircrafts for the general aviation. The other inspected test specimen was a composite consisted of glass-fiber-reinforced polymer face sheets and a wooden core. The structure of the wooden core could be detected only with cellular PP transducers, while commercial air-coupled transducers lacked the necessary sensitivity. Measured on a 4-mm thick carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer plate, cellular PP transducers with additional bias voltage achieved a 32 dB higher signal-to-noise ratio than commercial air-coupled transducers.
Fiber reinforced polymers (FRPs) are a well established material in lightweight applications, e.g. in automotive, aerospace or wind energy. The FRP components are subjected to multiaxial mechanical as well as hygrothermal loads. Common operation temperatures are in the range of 213 K and 373 K (-60 °C and 100 °C) at a relative humidity of 10% to 90%. In spacecraft applications, the environmental conditions are even more extreme. However, the correlation between multiaxial mechanical loading and harsh environment conditions have to-date not been investigated in detail. The project aims to investigate the fatigue behavior of FRPs dependent on multiaxial mechanical loading, temperature, and humidity. Extensive experimental testing is performed on flat plate and cylindrical tube specimens, accompanied by numerical and analytical calculations.
Glass-fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRP) are commonly used for the construction of pressure vessels and tanks for example in automotive and aerospace industries. Especially for pressure vessels used for the storage of natural gas or hydrogen with operation pressures up to 700 bar, an early material fatigue detection is of great interest. Measuring the distributed strain profile of GFRP structures helps to understand and detect material fatigue. In this article, we demonstrate the great potential of swept wavelength interferometry (SWI) based distributed strain sensing for the monitoring of pressure vessels made from GFRP. A resin transfer molding (RTM) process was used to manufacture GFRP-tube specimens. Commercial optical fibres with polyimid coating were glued to the surface externally in circumferential and axial direction. A cyclic load of up to 150 bar was applied to the samples using a servo-hydraulic test bench. Comparing the loaded and unloaded test conditions, we determined up to 2 % elongation in circumferential direction. We demonstrate reliable distributed strain measurements with sub-centimetre spatial resolution. By monitoring these high-resolution strain profiles, we were able to detect local material degradation that manifested itself as localized strain changes. Crucially, the material Degradation could be detected already after 75 % of dat the fatigue life before a crack appeared that led to leakage.
Sandwich-Schalenstrukturen in situ charakterisiert mit Thermographie und Felddehnungsmessungen
(2018)
An der BAM wurde ein Schalenprüfstand entwickelt, mit dem typische Sandwichschalenstrukturen unter simulierter Betriebsbeanspruchung belastet werden können. Im mechanischen Ermüdungsversuch wurden in situ die Entstehung von Schäden in Schalenprüfkörpern mit Test-Imperfektionen mittels der passiven Thermographie und Felddehnungsmessungen verfolgt. Damit konnten der Zeitpunkt, der Schadensursprung und der Schadensfortschritt zerstörungsfrei bestimmt werden. Zudem wurden vergleichend Schalenprüfkörper mit Luftultraschall und der Röntgen-Laminographie untersucht. Im Rahmen eines BMWi-Forschungsvorhabens wurden die Schädigungsmechanismen evaluiert und Empfehlungen für die Praxis der Fertigung von Rotorblättern abgeleitet. In diesem Beitrag wird sich auf die Darstellung der ZfP-Verfahren und der ZfP-Ergebnisse konzentriert.
In this study, quasi-static material tests on unidirectional and multi-angle glass fiber reinforced epoxy laminates at ambient temperatures from -213 K to 353 K (-60 °C to +80 °C) are performed. In addition, neat resin is investigated under tension and compression loads at different temperatures. The coefficient of thermal expansion is determined for neat resin and unidirectional reinforced specimens. The dependence of the resin’s thermomechanical properties on the ambient temperature is shown. The point of damage onset at which first cracks appear within the matrix under quasi-static loading is investigated by means of optical grey scale analysis. The correlation between damage onset and effective matrix stress at different ambient temperatures is identified. An approach for the calculation of thermomechanical loads and the prediction of the damage onset by means of inverse calculations is presented. The impact of the strain blocking effect of the matrix is considered as well as residual thermal stresses due to curing and resin shrinkage.
Lightweighting as a cross-cutting technology contributes significantly to achieve the European Green Deal goals. Based on, but not limited to, advanced materials and production technologies, the demand for natural resources and CO2 emmissions are reduced by lightweighting during production, as well as use phase. Therefore, lightweighting is a crucial transformation technology assisting in decoupling economic growth from resource consumption. In this manner, lightweighting contributes significantly as a key technology of relevance for many industrial sectors such as energy, mobility, and infrastructure, towards resource efficiency, climate action and economic strength, as well as a resilient Europe. To strengthen international partnerships, addressing global issues of today at the edge of science with high performance lightweight material based on carbon fibers, an overview about the BAM expertise in carbon fiber reinforced materials is given.
The mechanical behavior of fiber reinforced composites with polymer matrix is governed by several mechanisms operating at different length scales. In this contribution we describe first non-destructive techniques which are adequate for the characterization of the fiber-matrix interphase at a microscopic level. In a second step we describe on a mesoscopic level the influence of manufacturing related elements on the mechanical properties of rotor blades for wind turbines. We concentrate on thermography, laminography and ultrasound in connection with mechanical testing systems. Finally we present methods for monitoring rotor blades by using embedded optical fibers.
Fully-reversed fatigue behavior of scarf joint repairs for wind turbine blade shell applications
(2022)
To enable a quick and cost-effective return to service for wind turbine blades, localized repairs can be executed by technicians in the field. Scarf repairs, shown to be highly efficient with a smooth load transition across angled joint walls and a restored aerodynamic profile, are the focus of this work. The failure mechanisms of these structures were examined under quasi-static tensile and fully-reversed cyclic loading. While the scarf ratio was held constant at 1:50, the repair layup was varied between large-to-small and small-to-large. The effect of the presence of resin pockets and the fiber orientation mismatch between parent and repair material on the restored strength of BIAX ±45° glass fiber reinforced polymer scarf joint structures was studied.
A new patented dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) is presented, where the tensile, bending- or torsional stiffness of a media can be characterized in-situ during the phase transition from liquid to solid. An epoxy system, e.g. Hexion L285/H287, is filled into an elastomer container, such as a silicone tube. This can be mounted into a conventional OMA and, based on a linear viscoelastic approach, the storage modulus (E';G'), the loss modulus (E'';G'') and the loss angle tan(δ) can be measured at constant temperature as a function of time in order to investigate the liquid to sol-gel to solid transition. With this new method, the stiffness increase as a result of the cure process can be directly measured more precisely than with a rheometer in a shear plate set-up, because using an elastomer container gives a defined cross section for calculating the Young's modulus.
Wind turbine rotor blades are produced as aerodynamic, three-dimensionally formed sandwich shell structures using mainly glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP). The GFRP used today have the potential to withstand the harsh operating conditions of rotor blades over the projected service life of 20 years. Premature damages that occur can be traced primarily back to design and/or manufacturing imperfections, as well as unusually high load scenarios (for instance lightning strikes, or strong winds combined with system control errors). Therefore, rotor blades have to be repaired several times (on average 2-3 times) during their projected service life. Approximately 70% of these are repairs of small- to medium-sized sandwich shells, carried out by technicians directly accessing the blade by suspended roping at the wind turbine location. The goal is to execute repairs that will last over the remaining service life, i.e. be sustainable.
Within the framework of a research project carried out at BAM, Division 5.3 Polymer Matrix Composites, Department 5 for Materials Engineering, not only was the geometric shape (round vs. square in relation to the top view) varied, but also the layup of the scarf repair structure, variables that have not been studied systematically to-date. Sub-component scale sandwich shell specimens with representative repairs were used in this work in addition to coupon-scale specimens that are more commonly seen in literature. These sub-component shell specimens were tested using a unique shell test bench under loading conditions representative of wind turbine blade shell operating conditions with respect to fatigue strength. Using non-destructive testing methods (field strain measurement and thermography), damage development and distribution was monitored and analyzed in-situ. As a result, a concept was developed in which the repaired areas showed at least equivalent if not higher fatigue strength than the reference shells that were not repaired.
In Leichtbauanwendungen sind Materialien mit geringen Dichten und hohen Festigkeiten gefragt. Insbesondere Faser-Kunststoff-Verbunde (FKV) erfüllen diese Anforderungen und werden zunehmend für Strukturbauteile eingesetzt. Die Oberflächen moderner Rotorblätter von Windkraftanlagen werden aus FKV gefertigt. Das Versagen dieser Materialien hat massiven Einfluss auf die Einsatzfähigkeit der gesamten Windkraftanlage. Daher ist die Kenntnis des Versagensverhaltens dieser Komponenten unter statischer und zyklischer Belastung von großem Interesse, um die Betriebsbeanspruchung abzuschätzen. Im Idealfall wird die Schadensentwicklung unter Betriebslast mit zerstörungsfreien in-situ-Prüfverfahren ermittelt. Hier berichten wir über die Beobachtung der Rissentwicklung in Carbon-Faserverstärkten Kunststoffen (CFK) unter kontinuierlicher Zugbelastung durch in-situ Synchrotron-Röntgenrefraktionsradiographie. Eine selbst entwickelte elektromechanische Zugprüfmaschine mit einem Kraftbereich bis zu 15 kN wurde in den Strahlengang an der BAMline (BESSY II) integriert. Da in herkömmlichen (Absorptions-) Radiographien Defekte wie Zwischenfaserbrüche oder Faser-Matrix-Enthaftung keinen ausreichenden Kontrast verursachen, wird zur Kontrastanhebung die Röntgenrefraktion benutzt. Hier wird das sogenannte Diffraction Enhanced Imaging (DEI) angewandt, um Primär- und gebrochene Strahlung mit Hilfe eines Analysatorkristalls zu trennen. Diese Technik ermöglicht schnelle Messungen mit einem Gesichtsfeld von einigen Quadratmillimetern (hier: 14 mm × 7.2 mm) und ist ideal für in-situ Untersuchungen. Die Bildgebung und der Zugversuch erfolgen mit einer Bildfrequenz von 0.7 / s und einer Dehnrate von 0.00055 / s . Bei 0°/90° Fasergelegen treten die ersten Zwischenfaserrisse bei 380 MPa (Dehnung 0.8 %) auf. Vor dem Versagen bei ca. 760 MPa (Dehnung 2.0 %) beobachten wir die Ausbildung eines nahezu äquidistanten Rissmusters (Risse in ca. 1 mm Abstand), das sich im geschädigten Zustand über die gesamte Probe erstreckt.
Self-healing agents have the potential to restore mechanical properties and extend service life of composite materials. Thermoplastic healing agents have been extensively investigated for this purpose in epoxy matrix composites due to their strong adhesion to epoxy and their ability to fill in microcracks. One of the most
investigated thermoplastic additives for this purpose is poly(ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA). Despite the ability of thermoplastic healing agents to restore mechanical properties, it is important to assess how the addition of thermoplastic healing agents affect properties of the original epoxy material. In this work, EMAA was added to epoxy resin and the effect of the additive on fracture toughness of epoxy was evaluated. Results indicate that although added in low concentrations, EMAA can affect fracture toughness.
Im statistischen Mittel steht eine Windkraftanlage (WKA) in Deutschland alle 6 Jahre wegen eines Schadens an den Rotorblättern und verursacht Kosten von 20k€-40k€ infolge Ertragsausfall und Reparaturkosten. Bei über 30.000 WKA in Deutschland verursacht dies jährlichen Kosten von 100-200 Mio. €. Zu 70% sind die Ursachen Fertigungsfehler. Diesem Themenkomplex widmet sich FB-5.3 in Kooperation mit FBs der Zerstörungsfreien Prüfung (Abt. 8) schon seit Jahren.
Im aktuellen Projekt geht es um einen vorzeitigen Verschleiß der Rotorblätter infolge der Verwendung gealterter Glasfaser-Rovings. (GF). Die Entwicklung moderner Windkraftanlagen hatte in Europa seinen Ursprung in den 90er Jahren. OEMs und GF-Hersteller waren dicht beisammen. Die Globalisierung des Marktes führt heute zu einer weltweiten Verschiffung der GF in feucht-warmen Containern. Je nach Beschaffenheit (Chemie) der Schlichten (Oberflächenbehandlung) von GF können diese stark altern (Hydrolyse-Effekte) und die Festigkeit kann im Bauteil um bis zu 50% abgemindert sein.
In einer Kooperation mit der Rotorblattallianz, einem Zusammenschluss der OEMs, Halbzeugherstellern und Forschungsinstituten, wurden schon vor 5 Jahren in einem Forschungsprojekt (FB-5.3; VH 5538) die chemischen Mechanismen der Alterung exemplarisch für eine Glasfaser-Roving-Type aufgeklärt. Im aktuellen Projekt (FB-5.3; VH 5304) wird ein beschleunigtes Alterungsverfahren (erhöhte Temperatur und Feuchte) am Roving im un-impregnierten Zustand entwickelt und die Festigkeit nachfolgend nach Einbettung in eine Epoxid-Harz-Matrix bestimmt. Je nach Alterungszustand zeigt sich eine Abnahme der Zwischenfaserbruchfestigkeit von bis zu 50%. Nicht alle Glasfaser-Roving-Typen zeigen diesen Effekt. Es ist gelungen für OEMs und Halbzeughersteller ein handhabbares Verfahren zur innerbetrieblichen Qualitätssicherung zu entwickeln, da die wenigsten Firmen über komplexe Analyseverfahren, wie an der BAM, verfügen.
Mit Hilfe der an der BAM entwickelten Röntgenrefraktionstopographie lassen sich zerstörungsfrei innere Oberflächen insbesondere in CFK messen. Somit gelingt es quantitativ und ortsaufgelöst Mikrorisse im μm-Maßstab (Faser-Matrix-Ablösungen, Matrix-Matrix-Brüche) auch im komplexen Laminat zu bestimmen. Ziel ist es, die Mikrorissbildung an Geweben und Gelegen in-situ zur Schwingbeanspruchung zu ermitteln, um Materialkonstanten und Modelle zu bestimmen, mit Hilfe derer die Zwischenfaserbruchanstrengungen angeben werden kann, bei der die Grenze zum „unendlichen“ Leben liegt, also der Werkstoff als „dauerfest“ bezeichnet werden kann. Die Schädigungsmechanismen konnten aber auch an Schalenstrukturen aus GFK mit optischen Verfahren und mit In-Situ-Messungen mittels Thermographie nachgewiesen werden. Zudem spielt die Faser-Matrix-Grenzfläche, also die Oberflächenchemie auf der Faser sowie der Vernetzungsgrad der Epoxidharzmatrix eine entscheidende Rolle.
An intermediate-scale fire testing approach on the structural integrity of lightweight materials
(2013)
Carbon or glass über composites and Sandwich structures, the lightweight materials of choice for aviation, naval, offshore and construction show an enormous energy saving potential. Their combination of excellent specific mechanical properties, high corrosive resistance and thermal insulation properties in combination with various adoptable fabrication techniques leading to mass and fuel cost reduction. The most limiting single factor for a wider use of fibre reinforced plastics (FRP) in particular as elements for structural application is believed to be their fire behaviour (Mouritz and Gibson, 2006). FRPs promote burning by themselves consuming the stabilizing polymeric matrix while embedded fibers (glass, carbon) persisting the flame (Mouritz et ah, 2006). Already at elevated temperatures (100 - 200 °C) the matrix softens with a loss in mechanical properties (Perret et al., 2011, Mouritz and Gibson, 2006). For this reason the stability of the structural component is decreased severely. Fire behavior becomes the major hazard to worry about, increasingly demanding targetoriented investigation, suitable testing and tailored development.
Experimental approaches in the bench-scale have been proposed to investigate the structural integrity in the past (La Delfa et al., 2009, Gibson et al., 2010, Seggewiß, 2011, Mouritz and Gardiner, 2002, Schartel et al.). Ascribed to the small-scale neither the mechanical properties nor the effects of fire may be represented satisfactorily. Flence, the task is to perform more realistic investigations under adequate compressive loads in fully developed fires, based on suitable specimen sizes. Also (La Delfa et al., 2009)) have announced that it is evident that larger scale test of composites are needed. The aim of this study is to present a developed intermediate-scale test setup to perform more realistic investigations (Hörold et al.). Mechanical loading is generated by a column furnace in terms of compression due to a more severe response of specimens in fire tests (Seggewiß, 2011, Gibson et al., 2012, Feih et al., 2008, Feih et al., 2007). An oil burner used to determine the burnthrough resistance of thermal/acoustic insulation materials provides fire directly onto one side of the specimen (Federal Aviation Administration, 2003). Generating a fully developed fire the NexGen burner offers a homogenous heat flux of ~ 180 kW/m2. The intermediate-scale is addressed by specimen sizes either 500 x 500 mm or 1000 x 500 mm with a maximum thickness of 50 mm. The specimen attachment is realized by a compression device that was designed to apply the compressive loads, figure 1. The test setup for specimens with component like dimensions allows realistic investigations up to structural failure in absence and presence of fire load. A first test series was carried out with different levels of loading while the fire remained unchanged. Failure mechanisms, temperature distributions, diversity of FRPs regarding fiber, matrix, lay-up and core as well as flame retardant Systems are in the scope of investigation.
Intermediate-scale testing is indispensable when investigating the fire resistance under simultaneous compressive load of components made of glass- and carbon-fibre-reinforced composites (GFRP and CFRP). BAM is successfully operating an intermediate-scale test stand, developed for a specimen size of 500 mm x 500 mm (1000 mm). The fire resistance in terms of fire stability of CFRP and GFRP sandwiches are investigated, e.g. at 20 % of their compressive failure load at room temperature. Times to failure increase by up to a factor of 4 due to intumescent coatings. For GFRP sandwiches, different core structures with and without additional flame retardants show an astonishing impact on time to failure. CFRP shell structures are investigated on the intermediate scale with and without stringer reinforcements, resulting in completely different mechanical failure behaviour in the ultimate load test as opposed to the fire resistance test. The stringers become the only load-carrying part, while the shell acts as a protective layer. Thus the design exploiting this self-protection potential, i.e. the residue of the front skin protecting the load-bearing structure, is highlighted as a most promising route to enhance the fire resistance of lightweight materials.
Self-healing polymers have been developed to improve durability and reduce costs associated with maintenance during service. The addition of thermoplastics to thermosets to produce mendable polymers appears as a promising selfhealing technique. In this study, poly (ethylene-co-methacrylic acid) (EMAA) was added to epoxy resin and the effects of EMAA addition on epoxy properties were evaluated. Specimens with two different contents of thermoplastic and particles sizes were manufactured. A two-level full factorial experimental design was used to evaluate the effect of particle size and particle content on properties of epoxy modified with addition of EMAA. Tensile tests and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) were used and the evaluated responses were tensile strength, modulus of elasticity, and glass transition temperature (Tg). X-ray computed tomography (XCT) was used to investigate particle size and concentration after manufacturing. It was found that the particle concentration has greater effects on stress–strain behavior of epoxy while Tg was not significantly affected by neither of the analyzed entrance variables.