Mode I fracture testing fixture
| DWPI Title: Double cantilever beam test conducting method for e.g. laminated composite, involves providing upper and lower pin block hangers, and providing rotating pin blocks, where each rotating pin block includes specimen half-round pin |
| Abstract: An apparatus and method for preparing Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) specimens are disclosed as an apparatus and method for conducting Mode I fracture resistance testing using the DCB specimens. In a first embodiment, a drill jig is used to locate the DCB specimen and guide a drilling process during creation of at least one through-hole in the DCB specimen. The drilling process may employ a traditional drill and drill bit, a laser drill, or a water jet. In another embodiment, a set of rotating pin blocks, each with a full-round or a half-round specimen pin at one end and a hanger full-round pin at the other end, engage the DCB specimen and facilitate the internal application of a fracturing load to the DCB specimen for the Mode I fracture resistance test. The present invention may significantly reduce the time and materials needed to prepare and test a DCB specimen. |
| Use: Method for conducting Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) test. |
| Advantage: The method enables preparing the double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen in a faster and less expensive manner. The method avoids the need of hand sanding or volatile solvent cleaning to prepare for bonding hinges, and eliminates the need for procuring and individually cutting to size, hand sanded and volatile solvent cleaned, and fixturing to locate hinges with respect to the DCB specimens or themselves. |
| Novelty: The method involves providing upper and lower pin block hangers. The two rotating pin blocks are provided. Each hanger full-round pin of each of the rotating pin blocks is rotationally mechanically coupled to a corresponding one of the upper and lower pin block hangers. Each specimen half-round pin of each of the two rotating pin blocks are rotationally mechanically coupled to the double cantilever beam (DCB) specimen (200) via the one hole (210) in the DCB specimen. A fracturing load is applied to the DCB specimen via the rotating pin blocks and the upper and lower pin block hangers. The applied fracturing load is recorded as a function of time. An interlaminar delamination crack length is recorded as a function of time. The strain energy release rate of the DCB specimen is calculated based upon the recorded applied fracturing load and the recorded interlaminar delamination crack length. |
| Filed: 5/20/2020 |
| Application Number: US16878731A |
| Tech ID: SD 15229.0 |
| This invention was made with Government support under Contract No. DE-NA0003525 awarded by the United States Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration. The Government has certain rights in the invention. |
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