Scaling the Non-linear Impact Response of Flat and Curved Composite Panels

The application of scaling laws to thin flat and curved composite panels exhibiting nonlinear response when subjected to low-velocity transverse impact is investigated. Previous research has shown that the elastic impact response of structural configurations exhibiting geometrically linear response can be effectively scaled. In the present paper, a preliminary experimental study is presented to assess the applicability of the scaling laws to structural configurations exhibiting geometrically nonlinear deformations. The effect of damage on the scalability of the structural response characteristics, and the effect of scale on damage development are also investigated. Damage is evaluated using conventional methods including C-scan, specimen de-plying and visual inspection of the impacted panels. Coefficient of restitution and normalized contact duration are also used to assess the extent of damage. The results confirm the validity of the scaling parameters for elastic impacts. However, for the panels considered in the study, the extent and manifestation of damage do not scale according to the scaling laws. Furthermore, the results indicate that even though the damage does not scale, the overall panel response characteristics, as indicated by contact force profiles, do scale for some levels of damage

Low-velocity impact response of sandwich beams with functionally graded core

AbstractThe problem of low-speed impact of a one-dimensional sandwich panel by a rigid cylindrical projectile is considered. The core of the sandwich panel is functionally graded such that the density, and hence its stiffness, vary through the thickness. The problem is a combination of static contact problem and dynamic response of the sandwich panel obtained via a simple nonlinear spring-mass model (quasi-static approximation). The variation of core Young’s modulus is represented by a polynomial in the thickness coordinate, but the Poisson’s ratio is kept constant. The two-dimensional elasticity equations for the plane sandwich structure are solved using a combination of Fourier series and Galerkin method. The contact problem is solved using the assumed contact stress distribution method. For the impact problem we used a simple dynamic model based on quasi-static behavior of the panel—the sandwich beam was modeled as a combination of two springs, a linear spring to account for the global deflection and a nonlinear spring to represent the local indentation effects. Results indicate that the contact stiffness of the beam with graded core increases causing the contact stresses and other stress components in the vicinity of contact to increase. However, the values of maximum strains corresponding to the maximum impact load are reduced considerably due to grading of the core properties. For a better comparison, the thickness of the functionally graded cores was chosen such that the flexural stiffness was equal to that of a beam with homogeneous core. The results indicate that functionally graded cores can be used effectively to mitigate or completely prevent impact damage in sandwich composites

Bonded lap joints of composite laminates with tapered edges

AbstractThis study presents a semi-analytical solution method to analyze the geometrically nonlinear response of bonded composite lap joints with tapered and/or non tapered adherend edges under uniaxial tension. The solution method provides the transverse shear and normal stresses in the adhesives and in-plane stress resultants and bending moments in the adherends. The method utilizes the principle of virtual work in conjunction with von Karman’s nonlinear plate theory to model the adherends and the shear lag model to represent the kinematics of the thin adhesive layers between the adherends. Furthermore, the method accounts for the bilinear elastic material behavior of the adhesive while maintaining a linear stress–strain relationship in the adherends. In order to account for the stiffness changes due to thickness variation of the adherends along the tapered edges, the in-plane and bending stiffness matrices of the adherents are varied as a function of thickness along the tapered region. The combination of these complexities results in a system of nonlinear governing equilibrium equations. This approach represents a computationally efficient alternative to finite element method. The numerical results present the effects of taper angle, adherend overlap length, and the bilinear adhesive material on the stress fields in the adherends, as well as the adhesives of a single- and double-lap joint