Numerical analysis of low-velocity rigid-body impact response of composite panels

This paper investigates various modelling strategies to identify the most suitable approach for modelling the low-velocity impact response of laminated composite panels. The purpose of this paper is to thoroughly investigate a dropped tool scenario or a ground vehicle impact on an aircraft fuselage panel using detailed numerical models. Three-dimensional meso-scale finite element models have been developed and implemented with user-defined material subroutines in ABAQUS/Standard. The models predict the simultaneous evolution of inter-laminar and intra-laminar damage mechanisms that occur in composite panels during impact. The paper describes the implementation of the combined inter/intra-laminar models and assesses their performance. User-defined material models developed in previous work for quasistatic problems have been further developed in this paper for damage analysis under impact loading. Experimental dropweight impact tests, representative of low-velocity high-energy rigid-body impacts, have been carried out for model validation. Impact energy levels were varied from 10 to 40 J to evaluate the damage threshold and damage area that develops within the laminate. The results of the combined inter/intra-laminar model are in excellent agreement with experimental data, especially in terms of energy absorbed during impact. Numerical results provide an accurate description of the threshold at which a significant change in laminate stiffness occurs. It is shown conclusively that the combined inter/ intra-laminar damage model developed in this work can be employed as an accurate predictive tool for low-velocity impact events.