Date of Award:

5-2026

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair(s)

Juhyeong Lee

Committee

Juhyeong Lee

Committee

Haoran Wang

Committee

Thomas Fronk

Abstract

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are critical in aerospace applications yet remain vulnerable to lightning strikes due to orthotropic electrical conductivity and poor thermal resistance. Over the past decades, lightning-strike damage in pristine CFRP has been extensively investigated. However, the response of damaged and subsequently repaired laminates remains poorly understood, raising concerns about the structural integrity of repaired aircraft. This study aims to develop a sequentially coupled thermo-structural modeling framework to quantify how two common composite repair strategies (scarf patching and z-pinning), along with patch size, pin material, and configuration, influence lightning-induced damage and the residual flexural strength of repaired carbon/epoxy laminates. A sequential modeling framework first predicts lightning-induced thermal damage and then incorporates this damage into flexural simulations to quantify the residual bending strength. Comparison of repaired and unrepaired laminates shows that repairs with multiple CFRP pins provide enhanced strength and reduced damage resistance. These results offer quantitative design guidance for aerospace composite structures, enabling improved lightning-strike survivability and long-term structural durability of repaired CFRP composites.

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