Dynamic Analysis on Composite Laminates Subjected to Low-velocity Impact Damage

Abstract

The hierarchical and heterogeneous structure characteristics of composite laminates give rise to the difficulty in the study of the composite laminates damage under low-velocity impact. A numerical method for the evaluation of the impact damage was proposed on the basis of the continuum damage mechanics (CDM) and the cohesive zone model (CZM). The method can bring stable simulations and can effectively establish the relation between the mesoscale structure and the macroscopic response under impact. The evolution of the impact damage and the effect of single ply orientation on the impact damage resistance were investigated. It is found that the tangential delamination is the dominant form of the interface damage and more orientation of fiber can make the impact resistance improved. The prediction has a good agreement with the experimental results. The dynamic analysis is helpful for a thorough understanding of the evolution of low-velocity impact damages in composite laminates.