Fatigue life prediction considering temperature effect for carbon fibre reinforced composites under variable amplitude loading.

• A fatigue limit equation considering the high temperature effect is proposed. • The influence of high temperature on fatigue life prediction is considered. • A stress normalized method is used to reduce the effect of composites dispersion. • The life prediction is proposed for composites dominated by compression damage. Fatigue life prediction method based on stress normalization was proposed to reduce the influence of material property dispersion on life for CFRC (carbon fibre reinforced composites). In order to consider the effect of temperature on fatigue damage, a temperature influence factor was introduced into the fatigue limit equation and the life prediction method under variable amplitude loading at high temperature. Combined with the rainflow cycle counting and Miner linear damage accumulation rule, the proposed fatigue life prediction method was verified by the experimental results of composite multidirectional laminates under constant amplitude and variable amplitude loadings at various temperatures, and the prediction errors are within a factor of 5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]