Inclusion of Strain-Rate Effects in Low Velocity Impact Simulation of Laminated Composites

Abstract:

Composite materials are widely used in aircraft, automotive, marine and railway applications and are exposed to impact loads, in particular low velocity impact. As material properties of composites are affected by strain-rate [, finite element analysis (FEA) by using static properties would not predict their impact behaviour accurately. Thus, the objective of this study was to include strain-rate effects in the simulation of composite laminates under low velocity impact. This was achieved using ABAQUS anisotropic damage model (ADM) by taking account of material properties changes as a function of log strain-rate using user-defined ABAQUS/VUSDFLD subroutine Strain-Rate Dependent ADM (SRD ADM). Results obtained from SRD ADM were validated using simple tensile test done by Okoli [. Subsequently a three-point bending impact event of a simple composite laminate beam by a cylindrical steel impactor was simulated using both the original ABAQUS Static ADM and the user-defined SRD ADM, and compared with experimental impact test results done by [. The results show that reductions in errors of predicted maximum impact reaction force (compared to experimental data) were achieved from 29% using Static ADM to 14% using SRD ADM and from 35% using Static ADM to 15% using SRD ADM respectively for impactor speeds of 2 ms^-1 and 5 ms^-1.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 465-466)
• Pages: 1395-1399
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.465-466.1395
• Online since: December 2013
• Authors: Ainullotfi Abdul-Latif, Mohd Hasrizam Che Man*, S. Mansor
• Keywords: Finite Element Analysis (FEA), Laminated Composites, Low Velocity Impact (LVI), Strain Rate

References

[1] O.O.I. Okoli, Experimental Determination of Transient Dynamic Response of Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composite, PhD Thesis, Warwick University, United Kingdom, (1996).

[2] O.O.I. Okoli, and A. Abdul-Latif, Failure in composite laminates: overview of an attempt at prediction, Composites: Part A. 33(2002) 315-321.

DOI: 10.1016/s1359-835x(01)00127-0

[3] L.J. Broutman, and A. Rotem, Impact Strength and Toughness of Fiber Composite Materials, Foreign Object Impact Damage on Composites, ASTM STP 568, American Society for Testing and Materials. (1975) 114-133.

DOI: 10.1520/stp33153s

[4] A.G. Miller, D.T. Lovell, and J.C. Seferis, The evolution of an aerospace material: Influence of design, manufacturing and in-service performance. Composite Structures. 27 (1994)193–206.

DOI: 10.1016/0263-8223(94)90080-9

[5] S. Abrate, Impact on laminated composites. Appl. Mech. Rev. 47(11) (1994) 517-544.

[6] Abaqus Inc., ABAQUS 6. 8 User's Manual, Pawtucket, U.S.A., (2008).

[7] ASTM 3039-76 (Reapproved 1989). Standard test method for tensile properties of fiber-resin composites (Approved August 27, 1976), Annual Book of ASTM Standards. 118-122 (1976).

[8] C.S. Lopes, P.P. Camanho, Z. Gurdal, P. Maimi, and E.V. Gonzalez, Low-velocity impact damage on dispersed stacking sequence laminates, Part II: Numerical simulations Composites Science and Technology. 69 (2009) 937-947.

DOI: 10.1016/j.compscitech.2009.02.015

[9] B. Yanga, V. Kozeya, S. Adanurb, and S. Kumar, Bending, compression, and shear behavior of woven glass fiber-epoxy composites, Composites: Part B. 31(2000) 715-721.

DOI: 10.1016/s1359-8368(99)00052-9