All materials have an influence from the processing parameters for structural performance, but composite materials have a much more intimate materials/processing/structural performance connection due to their macroscopic inhomogeneities. In this paper, a link is provided between processing paramers, material architecture, and mechanical performance for various material architectures. In particular, a simple formula is provided to understand the fiber volume of a given part. This fiber volume is then linked with the fatigue performance. These data are indicative of the influence of processing pressures on laminate fiber volumes, independent of processing techniques and can be useful to wind turbine blade manufacturers to prepare processing conditions, a priori, to minimize expensive trial and error manufacturing development.

Volume Subject Area:
Materials, Manufacturing and Fatigue
Topics:
Blades, Wind turbines, Fibers, Architecture, Composite materials, Equipment performance, Errors, Fatigue, Laminates, Manufacturing, Materials processing
This content is only available via PDF.
Copyright © 2003
 by The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
You do not currently have access to this content.