THE DYNAMIC RESPONSE AND ABLATION OF COMPOSITE LAMINATES DUE TO COMBINED THERMAL/SHOCK AND MECHANICAL LOADING

RAPID INTENSE HEATING OF COMPOSITE LAMINATES DUE TO DIRECT ENERGY WEAPONS WILL INDUCE STRONG THERMAL GRADIENTS THAT IN TURN PRODUCE DYNAMIC STRESSES IN THE FORM OF WAVE MOTION. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO DEVELOP A MINDLIN PLATE FINITE ELEMENT PROGRAM FOR ANALYSIS OF THE DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR IN A COMPOSITE LAMINATE SUBJECTED TO COMBINED THERMAL/SHOCK AND SIMULATED IN-FLIGHT AERODYNAMIC LOADING. THIS PROGRAM WILL BE USED TO STUDY THE REDUCTION IN MECHANICAL AND THERMAL PROPERTIES DUE TO BREAK-OFF OF "CHARRED" MATERIAL THAT IS A RESULT OF THE ABLATION PROCESS. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE BASED ON AN EXTENSION OF THE PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR'S PREVIOUS RESEARCH IN THIS AREA. THE APPROPRIATE DYNAMIC TERMS WILL BE ADDED TO THE CURRENT FINITE ELEMENT FORMULATION AS WELL AS A GENERIC FAILURE CRITERIA WITH RESPECT TO THE BREAK-OFF OF "CHARRED" MATERIAL.