An element test specimen with ply drops to study fatigue crack growth rates at
geometry transitions - Goutianos, Stergios; Sørensen, Bent F.
Many advanced lightweight composite structures, such as wind turbine blades, have often a
complicated shape, including variable thickness, to optimise aerodynamic efficiency and reduce
weight. In composite structures, the varying thickness is achieved by terminating or dropping off plies (ply drops) [1,2]. Ply drops, however, result in material and geometrical discontinuities along
composite structures, which induce stress concentrations. Cracks can be potentially initiated at these
ply drop sites and evolve to delaminations which can propagate under service loading [3,4] severely
reducing the load carrying capability of composite structures.....
geometry transitions - Goutianos, Stergios; Sørensen, Bent F.
Many advanced lightweight composite structures, such as wind turbine blades, have often a
complicated shape, including variable thickness, to optimise aerodynamic efficiency and reduce
weight. In composite structures, the varying thickness is achieved by terminating or dropping off plies (ply drops) [1,2]. Ply drops, however, result in material and geometrical discontinuities along
composite structures, which induce stress concentrations. Cracks can be potentially initiated at these
ply drop sites and evolve to delaminations which can propagate under service loading [3,4] severely
reducing the load carrying capability of composite structures.....
