• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.265-270
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• 2013

Strength design for a lightweight bicycle frame made of carbon/epoxy composite laminates was studied using Tsai-Wu's failure criterion. For the design of bicycle frames, reducing the weight of the frame is of great importance. Furthermore, the frame should satisfy the required strength under specific loading cases. In accordance with the European EN 14764 standard for bicycle frames, three loading cases-pedaling, vertical, and level loadings-were investigated in this study. Because of the anisotropic characteristics of composite materials, it is important to decide the appropriate stacking sequence and the number of layers to be used in the composite bicycle frame. From finite element analysis results, the most suitable stacking sequence of the fiber orientation and the number of layers were determined. The stacking sequences of $[0]_{8n}$, $[90]_{8n}$, $[0/90]_{2ns}$, $[{\pm}45]_{2ns}$, $[0/{\pm}45/90]_{ns}$ (n = 1, 2, 3, 4) were used in the analysis. The results indicated that the $[0/{\pm}45/90]_{3s}$ lay-up model was suitable for a composite bicycle frame. Furthermore, the weakest point and layer were investigated.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.323-330
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• 2009

The objective of this research was to develop a practical integrated approach using extracted features from electrical resistance measurements and coupled electromechanical models of damage, for in-situ damage detection and sensing in carbon fiber reinforced plastic(CFRP) composites. To achieve this objective, we introduced specific known damage (in terms of type, size, and location) into CFRP laminates and established quantitative relationships with the electrical resistance measurements. For processing of numerous measurement data, an autonomous data acquisition system was devised. We also established a specimen preparation procedure and a method for electrode setup. Coupon and panel CFRP laminate specimens with several known damage were tested. Coupon specimens with various sizes of artificial delaminations obtained by inserting Teflon film were manufactured and the resistance was measured. The measurement results showed that increase of delamination size led to increase of resistance implying that it is possible to sense the existence and size of delamination. A quasi-isotropic panel was manufactured and electrical resistance was measured. Then three different sizes of holes were drilled at a chosen location. The panel was prepared using the established procedures with six electrode connections on each side making a total of twenty-four electrodes. Vertical, horizontal, and diagonal pairs of electrodes were chosen and the resistance was measured. The measurement results showed the possibility of the established measurement system for an in-situ damage detection method for CFRP composite structures.