Numerical modelling of the effects of laminate ply orientation and pipe geometry on thermoplastic composite pipe failure under thermomechanical loading

The study examined the effects of the laminate architecture and geometry on the buckling capacity, material strength and failure of thermoplastic composite pipes (TCPs) under combined thermomechanical loading using finite element (FE) modelling. A validated 3D FE model assessed some TCPs with varied laminate configurations using linear buckling and failure analyses with temperature dependent material properties. Findings indicated the decline in buckling strength with increasing thermal gradient. It was found that at low temperatures failure mode depends on the configuration, while at high temperatures the liner plastic yielding is the dominant mode of failure. Furthermore, TCPs with hybrid laminates mixing low and high angle plies provided the best balance of buckling and material strength. The results presented practical design insights for the temperature resilient TCPs.