Delamination Prediction in Multiangular Composite Laminates Using Cohesive Zone Surface Based Modelling & XFEM
Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) composites have become indispensable in the aerospace industry due to their superior mechanical properties. Delamination, often initiated by impact events, manufacturing defects or fatigue loading, reduces the stiffness and structural integrity of the structure. In actual structures delamination can propagate through multiple plies, causing both interlaminar and intralaminar fractures. Conventional finite element approaches, such as virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) and cohesive zone modelling (CZM), are inadequate for modelling both interlaminar and intralaminar failures. The purpose of this paper is to explain how to overcome these limitations by integrating the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) with cohesive zone surface‐based modelling. A comprehensive numerical model capable of accurately predicting both interlaminar and intralaminar crack propagation in multiangular CFRP composites under Mode‐1 loading is presented. Details of numerical modelling of various delamination interfaces and its comparison with experimental data are presented.