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.
[1]
Alastair Johnson,et al.
Modelling fabric reinforced composites under impact loads
,
2001
.
[2]
Ramesh Talreja,et al.
Damage mechanics of composite materials
,
1994
.
[3]
O. Allix,et al.
Interlaminar interface modelling for the prediction of delamination
,
1992
.
[4]
Jr. J. Crews,et al.
Mixed-Mode Bending Method for Delamination Testing
,
1990
.
[5]
Pierre Ladevèze,et al.
Damage modelling of the elementary ply for laminated composites
,
1992
.
[6]
John H. Crews,et al.
The mixed-mode bending method for delamination testing
,
1989
.
[7]
A. F. Johnson,et al.
Impact and crash modelling of composite structures
,
1999
.
[8]
R. Cook,et al.
Concepts and Applications of Finite Element Analysis
,
1974
.
[9]
Jerry I. Lin,et al.
Explicit algorithms for the nonlinear dynamics of shells
,
1984
.