| The strain development during the cure stage of a polymer matrix composite manufacturing process is mainly caused by the thermal expansion and the resin crosslinking shrinkage. In this exothermal cure stage, the electrical resistance of a carbon fiber depends on the temperature and the strain the carbon fiber experiences. In this thesis, two models to decouple the temperature and strain effects are successfully developed. Experimental studies for characterizing the strain development history during the cure stage of a single fiber polymer matrix composite are presented. The strain development history recorded by the single carbon fiber sensor (CFS) is analyzed and discussed. |
