The Effect of Mandrel Material on the Processing-Induced Residual Stresses in Thick Filament Wound Composite Cylinders

Residual stresses are known to be detrimental to a number of mechanical properties in composite materials. The mechanisms by which they develop in the filament winding of composite cylinders and tubes is not fully understood. In this work a process model is presented to predict the residual stresses induced during the processing of two-layer composite cylinders. Chemical shrinkage, thermal expansion/contraction, and cure-dependent mechanical properties are accounted for in the model. The influence of mandrel stiffness and thermal expansion coefficient is examined and a case study of an aluminum and a steel mandrel is compared. The residual stress field is shown to be strongly affected by the mandrel thermal expansion coefficient.