04.1 - Material Issues, Fatigue and Damage Tolerance
MULTI-SITE DELAMINATION ANALYSIS USING VIRTUAL CRACK CLOSURE TECHNIQUE FOR A COMPOSITE AIRCRAFT WING FLAP
J. Jokinen¹, M. Kanerva¹, O. Saarela, Aalto University, Finland; ¹Tampere University of Technology, Finland
In this study, we investigate the application of virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) for a multi-site delamination in the F-18 Hornet fighter aircraft’s wing flap. The effects of numerical parameters, such as energy release rate tolerance and element mesh related closure length, on the criticality and delamination growth are analyzed.