From Flat Plates to Sinusoidal Structures: Influence of Geometry on the Energy Absorption Capability of Carbon/Epoxy Composites

Abstract

Composite structures have excellent performance related to energy absorption during crush events. Among various factors, geometry has a significant influence on the specific energy absorption (SEA) performance of composites; however, the variation of crush-induced failure mechanisms for various geometric features and the way they affect energy absorption capability have not yet been fully clarified. Moving from simple to complex composite structures, a holistic study investigating the influence of geometry on the SEA is required. This paper presents experimental and numerical investigations of the crushing process for flat plates, semi-circle geometries, and sinusoidal structures with different diameters and numbers of curvatures. In a numerical analysis, a finite element (FE) model with the idea of an artificial plug-initiator was developed for the accurate and realistic crushing behavior of sinusoidal specimens. The results were discussed and compared in terms of the observed failure mechanisms. The sinusoidal structure with the highest energy absorption capability was identified.