Assessment of different higher order theories for low-velocity impact analysis of fibre-metal laminate cylindrical shells

Abstract

Assessment of different higher order shell theories for low-velocity impact response analysis of simply-supported fibre-metal laminate circular cylindrical shells is achieved. A new two-degree-of-freedom spring-mass model is adapted and used for contact force history estimation. The Fourier series method is used to solve the governing equations of fibre-metal laminate shell. The mechanical behaviour of fibre-metal laminate is assumed to be elastic. The impact behaviour is assumed to be quasi-static. In order to investigate the effect of the thickness flexibility on the impact response analysis of fibre-metal laminate cylindrical shells, different 2D and 3D higher order shell theories are evaluated. Also, effects of some parameters including metal volume fraction and fibre-metal laminate layup on the impact response are investigated. The results indicate that regardless of the fibre-metal laminate layup, as the value of metal volume fraction increases, the influence of the thickness flexibility on the impact response of fibre-metal laminate cylindrical shells is more significant. Also, as the metal volume fraction increases, the impulse (area under contact force–time) remains almost unchanged. In fact, the fundamental frequency of the shell governs both the peak value of the contact force as well as the contact duration. It is shown that Al/G 2/1 is the best layup to minimise the shell deflections due to impact load and to maximise the fundamental frequency.