Bending/tensile tests and simulations of the 2.5D woven T-shaped hooking composite structure

The bending strength and the tensile strength are the important mechanical properties of T-shaped hooking composite structures, which are one of the connection structures in aero-engine. In this paper, a kind of 2.5D woven T-shaped hooking composite structure, which consists of a groove structure and a T-shaped structure, was designed and used for bending test and tensile test, respectively. Experimental results showed that the initial damages both occur at the root-edge of web, and then the damages extend to the root-middle in bending test or extend perpendicular to the root-edge to the edge of the flange in tensile test. Then, a strength prediction method of progressive damage for 2.5D woven T-shaped hooking composite structure based on three-unit-cell model was proposed and used to describe the mechanical behaviors and damage processes of the connecting structure under bending/tensile loads, respectively. The comparisons between the simulation results and tests showed that the maximum error of the bending/tensile strengths is less than 15% and the damage modes between tests and simulations are similar. Therefore, the predicted strengths are accurate and the strength prediction method of progressive damage proposed in this paper is effective.