IMPROVEMENT OF TEST INSTRUMENTATION FOR FILAMENT WOUND STRUCTURES

SEVERAL TECHNIQUES WHICH HAVE BEEN USED BY ACL TO MEASURE RESPONSE OF BOTH FILAMENT-WOUND AND BRAIDED GLASS, KEVLAR AND GRAPHITE EPOXY COMPOSITE TUBES WILL BE EMPLOYED IN THE INSTRUMENTATION OF A VARIETY OF FILAMENT-WOUND COMPOSITE STRUCTURES. THESE STRUCTURES WILL BE CHOSEN BY ACL AFTER TECHNICAL DISCUSSIONS WITH MICOM PERSONNEL, AND MAY INCLUDE GOVERNMENT FURNISHED STRUCTURES OF PARTICULAR INTEREST TO MICOM OR MODEL SUBSTRUCTURAL COMPONENTS SUPPLIED BY ACL. TECHNIQUES TO BE USED INCLUDE STRAIN GAGING, LASER EXTENSOMETRY AND MOIRE. THE SIZE OF THE GAGE AND THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF SURFACE PREPARATION HAVE BEEN FOUND TO BE CRITICAL FACTORS IN THE SUCCESSFUL STRAIN GAGING OF THESE FILAMENT-WOUND MATERIALS, AND THE INFLUENCE OF THESE VARIABLES ON THE RESPONSE OF THE VARIOUS MATERIALS CHOSEN IN THE STUDY WILL BE EVALUATED.