Simulation of Lightning-Induced Delamination in Un-protected CFRP Laminates

Lightning is a major cause of damage in laminated composite aerospace structures during flight. The most significant failure mode induced by lightning is delamination, which might extend well beyond the visible damage zone, and requires sophisticated techniques and equipment to detect. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a numerical tool capable of predicting the damage zone induced from a lightning strike to minimize costly repair acreage and supplement extremely expensive lightning experiments. Herein, a detailed numerical study consisting of a multidirectional composite with user-defined, temperature-dependent, interlaminar elements subjected to a lightning strike is designed, and delamination/damage expansion is studied under specified conditions. It is observed both the size and shape of the delamination zone are strongly dependent on the assumed temperature-dependent fracture toughness; the primary parameter controlling lightning-induced delamination propagation. An accurate estimation of the fracture toughness profile is crucial in order to have a reliable prediction of the delamination zone and avoid sub-critical structural failures.