Quasi‐static behavior of polymer composite flywheel rims

Abstract In this work, the correspondence principle is used to relate quasi‐static elastic properties of composite materials to time‐dependent properties of its constituent materials (i.e., fiber and matrix). Application of Prony series combined with the multi‐data fitting method is used to enhance the efficiency of the direct inverse Laplace transform and the calculation of the time‐dependent stiffness matrix. Results show that elastic properties in directions other than fiber‐reinforcement directions have a time‐dependent character. Accelerated time‐dependent deformation studies of two flywheel rim designs for a period equivalent to 31 years show that multi‐direction reinforcement will suffer minimum change of dimension over time compared with hoop reinforcement only. Polym. Compos. 25:527–534, 2004. © 2004 Society of Plastics Engineers.