Damage prediction in composite plates subjected to low velocity impact

Abstract In this investigation, fiber-reinforced composite plates subjected to low velocity impact are studied by the use of finite element analysis (FE). Mindlin’s plate theory is implemented into the FE approach in which a 9-node Lagrangian element is considered. Dynamic stress analysis is carried out by the use of a constitutive equation of composite laminates without damage. A parametric analysis shows that the increase in the percentage of the 90° plies increases the contact force implying a reduction in the rigidity of the laminate. Stresses are calculated at nine Gaussian points of each element of each interface and then averaged. At first, threshold velocities are evaluated for different stacking sequence to predict matrix crack initiation. Then, the impact induces damage at a higher impact velocity including matrix cracking is predicted by the appropriate failure criteria. The present results indicate that matrix cracking appears in the upper 90° plies with the dominance of transverse shear stress.

[1]  P. K. Sinha,et al.  Nonlinear Finite Element Analysis of Laminated Composite Shells in Hygrothermal Environments , 2005 .

[2]  R. L. Ramkumar,et al.  Low-velocity impact response of laminated plates , 1983 .

[3]  B. Sankar.  Scaling of Low-Velocity Impact for Symmetric Composite Laminates , 1992 .

[4]  J. Whitney,et al.  Shear Deformation in Heterogeneous Anisotropic Plates , 1970 .

[5]  Reza Vaziri,et al.  Impact analysis of laminated composite plates and shells by super finite elements , 1996 .

[6]  C. Sun,et al.  Dynamic response of anisotropic laminated plates under initial stress to the impact of a mass , 1975 .

[7]  Ik Hyeon Choi,et al.  Low-velocity impact analysis of composite laminates using linearized contact law , 2004 .

[8]  A. L. Dobyns,et al.  Analysis of Simply-Supported Orthotropic Plates Subject to Static and Dynamic Loads , 1981 .

[9]  Ning Hu,et al.  Low-velocity impact-induced damage of continuous fiber-reinforced composite laminates: part II verification and numerical investigation , 2002 .

[10]  C. Sun,et al.  An Analytical Method for Evaluation of Impact Damage Energy of Laminated Composites , 1977 .

[11]  Ning Hu,et al.  LOW-VELOCITY IMPACT RESPONSE OF COMPOSITE LAMINATES WITH A DELAMINATION , 1998 .

[12]  T. M. Tan,et al.  Wave Propagation in Graphite/Epoxy Laminates Due to Impact. , 1982 .

[13]  Ramazan Karakuzu,et al.  The response of laminated composite plates under low-velocity impact loading , 2003 .

[14]  C. Sun,et al.  Indentation Law for Composite Laminates. , 1982 .

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

[16]  B. Necib,et al.  Impact behavior of cross-ply laminated composite plates under low velocities , 2001 .

[17]  R. K. Mittal,et al.  A parametric study of the impact response and damage of laminated cylindrical composite shells , 2001 .

[18]  R. K. Mittal,et al.  Impact response and damage in laminated composite cylindrical shells , 2003 .

[19]  Reza Vaziri,et al.  Analytical Solution for Low-Velocity Impact Response of Composite Plates , 1996 .

[20]  Ning Hu,et al.  Low-velocity impact-induced damage of continuous fiber-reinforced composite laminates. Part I. An FEM numerical model , 2002 .