Modeling and analysis of a theoretical composite material for aerospace use

Abstract

The objective of this article is to present a composite material as a reusable element applied to the aerospace sector. The material is proposed to be part of a two-stage rocket, which will be subjected to both a thermal load due to liftoff and an axial load. For this, the material was simulated through a stress test following the ASTM standard and thermal expansion was studied through three theories. The answer was analyzed using two software: firstly, we used MATLAB® to analytically model the stress test and we focused on determining which would be the best proportion based on the rule of mixtures; likewise, we studied the effect of thermal expansion and proposed a cycle (takeoff-landing), in which material wear was considered as residual stress. The result of this first analysis was to obtain the best ratio (fiber-matrix) to subsequently model it in ANSYS®. In this software, the material was modeled defining itself as a laminated composite; we studied the difference between the number of sheets. Similarly, we analyze the material from an axial load test and adding the thermal load. As a result, it was found that the theoretical material could achieve maximum performance using four fiber sheets. Analytically calculated strains were analyzed through the mixture rule in MATLAB® and compared with those calculated numerically in ANSYS®. From this comparison, an accuracy of 99% was obtained using a polymeric composite laminated with four fiber sheets