Triple-scale failure estimation for a composite-reinforced structure based on integrated modeling approaches. Part 2: Meso- and macroscopic scale analysis

In this article, the meso- and macroscopic failure features are discussed considering the identical composite component as in the foregoing article. In the meso-scale failure analysis, the risk of plastic instability of the composite tube was estimated considering the shakedown boundary as a failure criterion. The meso-scale stresses of the composite tube were computed using micromechanical homogenization and compared with the shakedown boundary of the composite obtained from the direct shakedown analysis. The stress states were close to the shakedown boundary indicating no critical danger of plastic failure. In the macro-scale failure analysis, the mechanical influence of the local composite integration was investigated with regard to the brittle failure risk of the neutron-embrittled component. To this end, a probabilistic failure analysis code was applied which was based on the fracture mechanics and the weakest-link failure theory. Various fracture criteria were considered. It was found that the failure risk of the tungsten block was strongly reduced by the composite reinforcement of the tube due to the intensification of compressive stress fields.