Effects of microchannels on the mechanical performance of multifunctional composite laminates with unidirectional laminae

The development of multifunctional composite structures enabled by embedded microvascular networks offers the potential for significant increases in functionality. The addition of active thermal management capability, self-healing, or electromagnetic configurability to a structural composite is attractive. However, the tradeoffs between mechanical performance and extended functionalities remain relatively ill-quantified. Previous studies of the effects of embedded microchannels on structural capability have considered a small number of loading conditions and layups not typically used in aerospace structures. This computational work provides comprehensive structural design guidance by quantifying the negative mechanical effects of parallel and periodic microchannels in aerospace composites, where the results are synthesized from a comprehensive set of analyses performed via rigorous implementation of widely-accepted modeling methods. The impacts of channel orientation, spacing, and channel cross-sectional aspect ratio are all quantified for laminate sequences typical of those used in aerospace structures.