Finite element analysis of low-velocity impact damage in composite laminated plates

Abstract Matrix cracking and delamination are the most common damage mechanisms in laminated fiber reinforced composites due to low velocity impact. An approach to predict the initiation and propagation of damage in composite laminated plates is brought forward in this paper, which is based on contact constraint introduced by penalty function method. The potential delamination and matrix cracking areas are considered as cohesive zone and the damage process as contact behavior between the interfaces. A scalar damage variable is introduced and the degradation of the interface stiffness is established. A damage surface which combines stress-based and fracture-mechanics-based failure criteria is set up to derive the damage evolution law. The damage model is implemented into a commercial finite element package, ABAQUS, via its user subroutine VUINTER. Numerical results on (0 4 , 90 4 )s carbon-epoxy laminate plates due to transversely low velocity impact are in good agreement with experimental observations.

[1]  Larsgunnar Nilsson,et al.  Modeling of delamination using a discretized cohesive zone and damage formulation , 2002 .

[2]  M. A. Crisfield,et al.  Progressive Delamination Using Interface Elements , 1998 .

[3]  F. J. Mello,et al.  Modeling the Initiation and Growth of Delaminations in Composite Structures , 1996 .

[4]  Larsgunnar Nilsson,et al.  Simulation of low velocity impact on fiber laminates using a cohesive zone based delamination model , 2004 .

[5]  Stephen R Reid,et al.  Modelling Interlaminar and Intralaminar Damage in Filament-Wound Pipes under Quasi-Static Indentation , 2002 .

[6]  Stephen R Hallett,et al.  Prediction of impact damage in composite plates , 2000 .

[7]  Alastair Johnson,et al.  Computational methods for predicting impact damage in composite structures , 2001 .

[8]  Hyung Yun Choi,et al.  A New Approach toward Understanding Damage Mechanisms and Mechanics of Laminated Composites Due to Low-Velocity Impact: Part I—Experiments , 1991 .

[9]  M.F.S.F. de Moura,et al.  Prediction of low velocity impact damage in carbon–epoxy laminates , 2002 .

[10]  Fu-Kuo Chang,et al.  A Model for Predicting Damage in Graphite/Epoxy Laminated Composites Resulting from Low-Velocity Point Impact , 1992 .

[11]  C. Sun,et al.  A double-plate finite-element model for the impact-induced delamination problem , 1995 .

[12]  M.F.S.F. de Moura,et al.  Modelling the interaction between matrix cracking and delamination in carbon–epoxy laminates under low velocity impact , 2004 .

[13]  Stephen R Reid,et al.  A continuum damage model for delaminations in laminated composites , 2003 .