Stress base modelling and computer simulation of drop-weight impact response of composite panels with domain partitioning and adaptive meshing techniques

Author Name(s):

Umar Farooq and Peter Myler

Reader, Department of Engineering, Support and Advance Sciences, University of Bolton, Bolton BL3 5AB UK

Professor,  Head of Engineering, Support and Advance Sciences, University of Bolton, Bolton BL3 5AB UK

This work is concerned with stress base computer modelling and simulation to predict low-velocity drop-weight impact response of carbon fibre reinforced composite panels. The composites are being extensively used as building-block of aircraft structures. During service life of an aircraft fuselage and wings may suffer accidental tool (box) drop impact due to their vulnerable locations. The impact could cause severe invisible damage that grows during future operations and may result in catastrophic failure. Most of the previous studies to avert the damage are experimental, based on load-deflection methodology, neglect effects of through-thickness stresses, and lack in predicting all possible failures as well as require huge efforts, time, and resources. Computer simulations are needed for more reliable pre-design stage analyses. Current study describes limitations of experimental testing in ply-level predictions, mathematical formulation of stresses, and computer simulations in ABAQUS^TM/ Explicit software. Domain under impactor nose-tips was partitioned to obtain dense discretisation using adaptive meshing scheme to efficiently predict two-dimensional stresses. Three-dimensional stresses were computed from two-dimensional predicted stresses via numerical integration program in MATALAB^TM. The predicted stresses were then utilised in mode-based failure criteria to predict ply-level failures in MATALAB^TM program. Data analyses were performed with MS Excel^TM tabular and graphic plot forms. Results were compared with published data results and found within agreement up to 90%. Based on acceptable predictions, the study is proposed to investigate similar other problems to predict more possible ply-level failures.

Keywords: Fibrous Composites; Low-velocity Impact; Domain Partitioning; Adaptive Meshing; Explicit Dynamic Methods.

Please cite this article as:

Umar Farooq and Peter Myler  (2021). Stress base modelling and computer simulation of drop-weight impact response of composite panels with domain partitioning and adaptive meshing techniques    \International Journal of Recent Research and Applied Studies, 8, 4(5), 38-58.