Study of implosion of carbon/epoxy composite hollow cylinders using 3-D Digital Image Correlation

Abstract A comprehensive study on the hydrostatic implosion of carbon fiber reinforced epoxy composite tubes is conducted experimentally to examine the failure and damage mechanisms of collapse. Experiments are performed in a pressure vessel designed to provide constant hydrostatic pressure through the collapse. Filament-wound, braided, and roll-wrapped carbon-fiber/epoxy tubes are studied to explore the effect of geometry and reinforcement architecture on the modes of failure. 3-D Digital Image Correlation technique, which is first calibrated for the underwater environment, is used to capture the full-field deformation and velocities during the implosion event. Dynamic pressure transducers are employed to measure the pressure pulses generated by the event and evaluate its damage potential. The results show that composites with braided fabric reinforcements are found to have more damage potential to adjacent structures than those containing unidirectional reinforcements, as they release pressure waves with significantly greater impulse.