THERMO-MECHANICAL ANALYSIS OF MIXED-MODE DAMAGE: COHESIVE ZONE MODELING

Damage detection and diagnostics is a key area of research in structural analysis. This paper presents results from the analysis of mixed-mode damage initiation in a composite beam under thermal and mechanical loads. A finite element model in conjunction with a cohesive zone model (CZM) is used in order to determine the location of joint separation as well as the contribution of each mode in damage (debonding) initiation. The composite beam is modeled by using two layers of aluminum that are bonded together through a layer of adhesive. Simulation results show that the model can successfully detect the location of damage under a thermo-mechanical load. The model can also be used to determine the severity of damage due to a thermal load, a mechanical load and a thermo-mechanical load It is observed that integrating thermal analysis has a significant influence on the fracture energy.