Crash Energy Absorption of Braided Composite Tubes and its Application in Vehicle Passive Safety

Abstract:

Braided composite tubular structures are of interest as viable energy absorbing components to improve vehicle passive safety. Unfortunately, there are many difficulties in predicting the crash response of braided composite tubes. In this study, a progressive failure model for braided composite materials, which had been implemented as a user material model in ABAQUS/Explicit, was used to simulate the axial crash response of braided composite tubes. It was shown that the model adequately captured the failure characteristics (such as matrix cracking, fiber fracturing and delamination) and energy absorption of braided composite tubes under axial compression. In addition, the simulation results show that braided composites have higher energy absorption performance compared to traditional metals.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volume 627)
• Pages: 659-671
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.627.659
• Online since: December 2012
• Authors: Ping Zhang, Liang Jin Gui, Zi Jie Fan, Jian Ma, Jing Yu Liu
• Keywords: Braided Composites, Finite Element Method (FEM), Passive Safety, Progressive Failure

References

[1] P. Beardmore, C. F. Johnson: Compos Sci Technol. Vol. 26 (1986), p.251

[2] D. Hull: Compos Sci Technol. Vol. 40 (1991), p.377

[3] G. L. Farley, R. M. Jones: J Compos Mater. Vol. 26 (1992) p.37

[4] S. S. Cheon, D. G. Lee, K. S. Jeong: Compos Struct. Vol. 38 (1997) p.229

[5] H. Hamada, T. Nakatani, A. Nakai, V. Agaram: Compos Sci Technol. Vol. 59 (1999) p.1881

[6] T. S. Lim, D. G. Lee: Compos Struct. Vol. 56(2002) p.211

[7] A. K. Pickett, M. R. C. Fouinneteau: Compos Pt A-Appl Sci Manuf. Vol. 37 (2006) p.368

[8] S. J. Beard, F. K. Chang: J Thermoplast Compos Mater. Vol. 15 (2002) p.3

[9] S. J. Beard, F. K. Chang: Int J Crashworthiness Vol. 7 (2002) p.191

[10] S. J. Beard: Energy absorption of braided composite tubes (PhD thesis, Stanford University 2001)

[11] N. D. Flesher, F. K. Chang, N. R. Janapala: J Compos Mater. Vol. 45 (2011) p.853

[12] N. D. Flesher, F. K. Chang, N. R. Janapala, J. M. Starbuck: J Compos Mater. Vol. 45 (2011) p.867

[13] N. D. Flesher: Crash energy absorption of braided composite tubes (PhD thesis, Stanford University 2005)

[14] L. Catejon, A. Miravete, J. Cuartero: Mech Compos Mater Struct. Vol. 8 (2001) p.219

[15] C. J. McGregor, R. Vaziri, A. Poursartip, X. R. Xiao: Compos Pt A-Appl Sci Manuf. Vol. 38 (2007) p.2247

[16] C. J. McGregor, R. Vaziri, X. R. Xiao: Int J Impact Eng. Vol. 37 (2010) p.662

[17] X. R. Xiao, M. E. Botkin, N. L. Johnson: Thin-Walled Struct. Vol. 47 (2009) pp.740-749.

[18] X. R. Xiao, C. J. McGregor, R. Vaziri, A. Poursartip: Int J Impact Eng. Vol. 36 (2009) p.711

[19] R. A. Naik: J Compos Mater. Vol. 29 (1995) p.2334

[20] T. Z. Blazynski: Materials at high strain rates (Elsevier Applied Science, London 1987)

[21] P. Zhang, L. J. Gui, Z. J. Fan: J Reinf Plast Compos. Vol. 28 (2009) p. (1903)

[22] S. V. Thiruppukuzhi, C. T. Sun: Compos Sci Technol. Vol. 61 (2001) p.1

[23] A. Needleman: J Appl Mech. Vol. 54 (1987) p.525

[24] E. D. Reedy, F. J. Mello, T. R. Guess: J Compos Mater. Vol. 31 (1997) p.812