Curing Residual Stresses and Failure Analysis in Composite Cylinders

A method to predict the residual stress due to curing in thick or thin lami nated cylinders is presented, decoupling the stress analysis from the cure kinetics. The method employs a 3D elasticity solution, calculating in-plane and normal stresses. The results compare well with those obtained by a verified computer code (WINDTHICK), with a substantial savings in running time. Transient stresses during curing due to the non uniform through the thickness temperature distribution are also calculated. The risk of micro cracking and internal delaminations can then be evaluated.