Computational methods for predicting impact damage in composite structures

By A. Johnson, A. Pickett, P. Rozycki. 2001

271 citations recorded by the source corpus.

This paper describes recent progress in materials modelling and numerical simulation of the impact response of fibre-reinforced composite structures. A continuum damage-mechanics (CDM) model for fabric-reinforced composites is developed as a framework within which both in-ply and delamination failure may be modelled during impact loading. Damage-development equations are derived and appropriate materials parameters determined from experiments. The CDM model for in-plane failure has been implemented in a commercial explicit finite element (FE) code, and new techniques are used to model the laminate as a stack of shell elements tied by contact interface conditions. This approach allows the interlaminar layers to be modelled and strength reduction due to delamination to be represented; it also provides a computationally efficient method for the analysis of large-scale structural parts. The code is applied to predict the response of carbon-fabric-reinforced epoxy plates impacted at different velocities by a steel impactor. A comparison of structural response and failure modes from numerical simulations and impact tests is given which shows a good agreement for the prediction of delamination damage at low impact energies and fracture and penetration at higher impact energies.

Subfields: Civil and Structural Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanics of Materials

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/397dff069655f0ed640d59bbea385aab2141d776

How researchers see this paper

The researchers whose trusted networks rank it highest, strongest advocate first. Every researcher gets a different order.

In Civil and Structural Engineering

1. S. Pinho
2. P. Robinson
3. R. Sullivan
4. Wenchao Wang
5. L. Iannucci
6. M. Qatu
7. Pedro P. Camanho
8. Carlos Gonz'alez

In Mechanical Engineering

1. S. Pinho
2. P. Robinson
3. L. Iannucci
4. C. Bouvet
5. S. Rivallant
6. Brian G. Falzon
7. Pedro P. Camanho
8. R. Gutkin

In Mechanics of Materials

1. S. Pinho
2. P. Robinson
3. R. Sullivan
4. Wenchao Wang
5. L. Iannucci
6. M. Qatu
7. Pedro P. Camanho
8. Brian G. Falzon

Citations in the corpus

• Recent research advances on the dynamic analysis of composite shells: 2000-2009 (2010, background): “[118] reviewed recent developments regarding the impact response of composite structures.”
• Formulation and implementation of decohesion elements in an explicit finite element code (2006, background): “[10,11], in which the applications include MMB specimens and the impact with penetration of a steel ball in a composite plate.”