An Introduction to Marine

Composites
Paul H. Miller
Department of Naval
Architecture and Ocean
Engineering
U. S. Naval Academy

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

Presentation Overview
Why use

Design Examples

composites in the
marine
environment
What are they
How to analyze
them

2 May 2001

IACC rudder
78 performance
cruiser

A marine
composites
dissertation
project

Webb Institute of Naval

Why Marine Composites?

Approximately 1/3

High specific

of marine
applications are
now made of
composites
Low maintenance
requirements (low
life-cycle costs)

material properties
High geometric
flexibility
Good moisture
stability

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

Why not?

2 May 2001

High Initial Cost

Tight tolerances required
Fire/smoke toxicity
Environmental

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A Composite
A combination of more than one material
with resulting properties different from the
components
Examples:
Reinforced concrete
Wood
Polymer composites (1000+ resins, 25+ fibers,
20+ cores)
Note: a composite ship is not a composite
material
2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

Material Properties
Isotropic Materials

Transversely

(ie metals)
E

t , c ,

Isotropic Materials
(ie one fiber in resin)
Ex (fiber direction), E , Gxy

xt , xc , t , c ,
y

xy

2 May 2001

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xy

Analysis Methods
Classical Lamination Theory
Timoshenkos layered
stiffness/stress approach. Uses
matrix algebra.
Blended Isotropic ABS Method
Empirical - Gerr

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

Methods Compared
Blended

CLT
Analytically difficult
Accurate to within
1% if base
properties are
known.
Possible
unconservative
inaccuracy to 15%

2 May 2001

Isotropic
Analytically easy
Accuracy to within
1% if all properties
are known.
Possible
unconservative
inaccuracy to a
factor of 4!

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Suggestions
Use blended isotropic for preliminary design
(or to check for ABS compliance) only!

Use CLT for all final

design!

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

Typical Material Properties

Mostly linear stress/strain
Brittle (0.8-2.7% ultimate strain) resins or fibers
Stiffness and Strength Properties (ASTM tests
Wet/Dry)
Tensile
Compressive
Shear
Flex
Fatigue

20000
15000
Stress [psi]

E-glass Mat/Polyester Sample #1

10000
5000
0
0

0.05

Tensile Test

2 May 2001

0.1

0.15

0.2

0.25

Extension [in]

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Moisture Absorption Results

2.50%

1.3% for 100%

relative humidity
Equilibrium in 4
months

2.00%
Weight Gain

1.8% weight gain

for submerged

1.50%
1.00%
0.50%
0.00%
0

33
TNR

2 May 2001

66
TNW

99

Days

SNR

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132
SNW

165

198

231

Fickian

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Example Design Problem

IACC Rudder
Goal: As light as possible without

breaking!
Construction: Carbon fiber and epoxy
Loads from Lift equations and CFD

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

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Approach
FEA model

Geometry
Loads
Fwd speed
Backing speed
Angle of
Attacks

Laminate tailoring
CFD loads
Tsai-Wu and Hashin
failure criteria

Preliminary

analysis from
beam
equations/CLT/
lift equation

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

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77 foot Performance Cruiser

Carl Schumacher design
Building at Timeless
Marine, Seattle
To ABS Offshore Yacht
Guide

2 May 2001

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Approach
Preliminary design using CLT
(Laminator), MathCad (for ABS
equivalent) and Excel (ABS Guide)
Final design using FEA
Nine load cases
15% increased in FEA over ABS

2 May 2001

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My Dissertation
Extend the standard fatigue methods
used for metal vessels to composite
vessels

Verify the new method by testing

coupons, panels and full-size
vessels.

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

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Simplified Metal Ship Fatigue Design

1. Predict wave encounter ship history
2. Find hull pressures and accelerations
using CFD for each condition
3. Find hull stresses using FEA

Wave pressure and surface elevation

Accelerations

4. Use Miners Rule and S/N data to get

fatigue life

2 May 2001

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Project Overview

Material and Application Selection

Testing (Dry, Wet/Dry, Wet)

ASTM Coupons, Panels, Full Size

Static and Fatigue

Analysis

Local/Global FEA
Statistical and Probabilistic

2 May 2001

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Material & Application Selection

Ideally they should represent a large
fraction of current applications!

Polyester Resin (65%)

E-glass (73%)
Balsa Core (30%)
J/24 Class Sailboat

5000+ built
Many available locally
Builder support
Small crews

Another day of research

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

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Finite Element Analysis

Coupon, panel, global
Element selection

Linear/nonlinear
Static/dynamic/quasi-static
CLT shell
Various shear deformation theories used
(Mindlin and DiScuiva)

COSMOS/M software
Material property inputs from coupon
tests

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

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Fatigue Testing

2 May 2001

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Moisture
decreased initial
and final stiffness
but the rate of
loss was the
same.

Percent of Original Stiffness

Fatigue Results S/N Data

100%

90%

80%

70%
1

10

100

1,000

10,000

100,000

1,000,000

Stress Cycles

12.5%-Wet
37.5%-Wet

12.5%-Dry
50%-Dry

25%-Wet
50%-Wet

25%-Dry
75%-Dry

37.5%-Dry
75%-Wet

Specimens failed when stiffness dropped 15-25%

No stiffness loss for 12.5% of static failure load specimens
25% load specimens showed gradual stiffness loss

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

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Panel Analysis
Responds to

USCG/SNAME
studies
Solves edge-effect
problems
Hydromat test
system
More expensive
Correlated with FEA

2 May 2001

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Panel FEA Results

1
0.9
0.8

Deflection (in)

0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0

Pressure (psi)

Wet Deflection
Panel Linear
Panel & Frame NonLin

2 May 2001

10

12

14

Dry Deflection
Panel NonLin
Panel & Frame Linear

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Impact Testing
The newest boat had the lowest stiffness.
Did the collision cause significant
microcracking?
Yes, there was
significant
microcracking!

2 May 2001

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Global FEA

Created from plans and boat checks

Accurately models vessel
8424 quad shell elements
7940 nodes
46728 DOF

Load balance with accelerations

2 May 2001

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On-The-Water Testing- Set Up

Instrument Locations for Boat Tests
Instrument
Location
Strain Gage #1 Portside shroud chainplate
Strain Gage #2 Forestay chainplate
Strain Gage #3 Inside hull on centerline
Strain Gage #4 Inside hull off centerline
Strain Gage #5 Outside hull on centerline
Strain Gage #6 Outside hull off centerline
Accelerometer Bulkhead aft of strain gages

2 May 2001

Location of
sink throughhull (behind
fender)

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Location of strain
gauges (under
epoxy)

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Wind

2 May 2001
-0.06
Accel

0.12

0.1

0.08

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Inside on CL
Inside off CL

Strains

0.06

0.04

0.02

-0.02

-0.04

Accelerations
35

2:29:59 PM

2:29:56 PM

2:29:54 PM

2:29:52 PM

2:29:50 PM

2:29:47 PM

2:29:45 PM

2:29:43 PM

2:29:41 PM

2:29:38 PM

2:29:36 PM

2:29:34 PM

2:29:32 PM

2:29:29 PM

2:29:27 PM

2:29:25 PM

2:29:23 PM

2:29:20 PM

2:29:18 PM

2:29:16 PM

2:29:14 PM

2:29:11 PM

2:29:09 PM

2:29:07 PM

Imajination
Test

2:29:05 PM

J6 Test

2:29:02 PM

2:29:00 PM

Data Records
0.0016

0.0014

0.0012

0.0008

0.001

0.0006

0.0004

0.0002
0

2 May 2001

Webb Institute of Naval

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