The Influence of the Boundary Conditions on Low‐Velocity Impact Composite Damage

Abstract: The objective of this work was to study the influence of the boundary conditions on low‐velocity impact behaviour of carbon‐epoxy composite plates. Experimental work and numerical analysis were performed on [0₄,90₄]_s laminates. The influence of different boundary conditions on the impacted plates was analysed considering rectangular and square plates. The X‐radiography was used as a non‐destructive technique to evaluate the internal damage caused by impact loading. A three‐dimensional numerical analysis was also performed considering progressive damage modelling. The model includes three‐dimensional solid elements and interface finite elements including a cohesive mixed‐mode damage model, which allows simulating delamination between different oriented layers. It was verified that plate’s boundary conditions have influence on the delaminated area. Good agreement between experimental and numerical analysis for shape, orientation and size of the delamination was obtained.     

Low velocity impact behaviour of a hybrid carbon‐epoxy/cork laminate

This work addresses low velocity impact behaviour of monolithic cross‐ply carbon‐epoxy and hybrid carbon‐epoxy/cork laminates. The [0₄, 90₄]_s layup was selected due to its high mismatch bending between different oriented layers, which is a critical aspect concerning large delamination development at these critical interfaces. The effect of a cork layer inserted at the most critical interface on low velocity impact behaviour of the carbon‐epoxy laminate is discussed. Impact response and resulting damage profiles of monolithic and hybrid laminates are compared, and advantages of the hybrid solution are underlined. A numerical analysis including cohesive zone modelling was also performed to assess the damage profiles obtained for the two laminates analysed. The model revealed to be effective for a better comprehension of damage mechanism for both studied cases.     

碰撞冲击荷载作用下钢筋混凝土柱的损伤评估及防护技术

以刚性球撞击钢筋混凝土柱为例,研究了碰撞冲击荷载作用下钢筋混凝土柱的损伤程度评估以及防护技术。在钢筋混凝土柱粘结滑移模型基础之上,提出了一种基于竖向剩余承载力的损伤评估准则,用来判定碰撞冲击荷载下钢筋混凝土柱损伤破坏程度;并定量分析了刚性球质量、初速度与结构柱损伤度的关系。针对复合截面防护的情形,对碰撞冲击荷载作用下钢筋混凝土柱防护前后的动态响应及损伤进行了分析,并对比了外粘钢板及外敷泡沫铝两种防护措施的防护效果。结果表明:刚性球质量及速度在较小范围内时,损伤度的增长速率高于质量及速度的增长速率,且以质量和速度同时增加时损伤度增长最快;当刚性球质量及速度达到一定数值后,损伤度的增长速率一般会低于刚性球质量及速度的增长速率。外粘钢板、外敷泡沫铝两种复合截面防护方法均能有效降低碰撞冲击下钢筋混凝土柱的动态响应及损伤程度,且均能使钢筋混凝土柱的整体破坏模式由弯剪破坏向弯曲破坏转变。     

A Unit‐Cell Approach of Finite Element Analysis for Transverse Impact Damage of 3‐D Biaxial Spacer Weft‐Knitted Composite

Abstract: This paper evaluates the transverse impact damage of a 3‐D biaxial spacer weft‐knitted composite using experimental results and complimentary finite element analysis. The load–displacement curves and damage morphologies during impact loading were obtained to analyse energy absorption and impact damage mechanisms of the knitted composite. A unit‐cell model based on the microstructure of the 3‐D knitted composite was established to calculate the deformation and damage evolution when the composite is impacted by a hemisphere‐ended steel rod. An elastoplastic constitutive equation is incorporated into the unit‐cell model and the critical damage area failure theory developed by Hahn and Tsai has been implemented as a user‐defined material law (VUMAT) for commercial available finite element code ABAQUS/Explicit. The load–displacement curves, impact damages and impact energy absorption obtained from ABAQUS/Explicit are compared with those FROM experiments. The good agreement of the comparisons supports the validity of the unit‐cell model and user‐defined subroutine VUMAT. The unit‐cell model can also be extended to evaluate the impact crashworthiness of engineering structures made out of the 3‐D knitted composites.     

High-velocity plate impact of metal foams

The ballistic impact of a massive, effectively 1-D plate on an initially stationary foam layer is considered. It is shown that four discrete velocity regimes must be considered. Two of these regimes are of major interest for ballistic impact studies. Regime 2 considers the case when the initial velocity of the plate is lower than the sound velocity of the constitutive material of the foam, but higher than the linear sound velocity of foam. Regime 3 considers the case when the initial plate velocity is lower than the linear sound velocity of the foam; but remains higher than the effective sound velocity for a perturbation in which the amplitude lies in the so-called “plateau region” of the static stress–strain diagram.Analytical solutions for dynamic deformation and energy absorption of foam materials under the plate impact condition for Regimes 2 and 3 are developed. It has been shown that in both cases, a compressive shock wave appears. The physical difference between these two regimes entails not only the creation of a shock front associated with the collapsing foam, but also an acoustic precursor in the case of Regime 3. As a result, the efficiency of energy absorption in Regime 2 depends only on the initial density of the foam, the density of the constitutive material of the foam, and the areal mass of the impacting plate, whereas the efficiency of energy absorption for Regime 3 also depends on the Mach number and the critical stress of the foam.Numerical plate impact simulations have been carried out in impact Regime 2. Explicit finite element analysis is performed using LS-DYNA 960. The time history of dynamic deformation and energy of the impact plate is presented. The numerical prediction is found to be in good agreement with the analytical results.     

Fatigue life prediction for butt‐welded joints considering weld‐induced residual stresses and initial damage,relaxation of residual stress,and elasto‐plastic fatigue damage

Fatigue damage of butt‐welded joints is investigated by a damage mechanics method. First, the weld‐induced residual stresses are determined by using a sequentially coupled thermo‐mechanical finite element analysis. The plastic damage of material is then calculated with the use of Lemaitre's plastic damage model. Second, during the subsequent fatigue damage analysis, the residual stresses are superimposed on the fatigue loading, and the weld‐induced plastic damage is considered as the initial damage via an elasto‐plastic fatigue damage model. Finally, the fatigue damage evolution, the relaxation of residual stress, and the fatigue lives of the joints are evaluated using a numerical implementation. The predicted results agree well with the experimental data.     

A three‐dimensional atomistic‐based process zone model simulation of fragmentation in polycrystalline solids

A three‐dimensional atomistic‐based process zone model (APZM) is used to simulate high‐speed impact induced dynamic fracture process such as fragmentation and spall fracture. This multiscale simulation model combines the Cauchy–Born rule, colloidal crystal process model, and micromechanics homogenization technique to construct constitutive relations in both grains and grain boundary at mesoscale. The proposed APZM has some inherent advantages to describe mechanical behaviors of polycrystalline solids. First, in contrast to macroscale phenomenological constitutive models, the APZM takes into account atomistic binding energy and atomistic lattice structure. In particular, the electron density related embedded atom method (EAM) potential has been adopted to describe interatomistic interactions of metallic polycrystalline solids in bulk elements; second, a mixed type of EAM potential and colloidal crystal depletion potential is constructed to describe heterogeneous microstructure in the process zone; third, the atomistic potential in both bulk material and process zone has the same atomistic origin, and hence, the bulk and process potentials are self‐consistent. The simulation of dynamic fracture process of a cylinder made of aluminum powder metallurgy (P/M) alloy during high‐speed impact/penetration is carried out, and numerical results demonstrate that APZM finite element method has remarkable ability to accurately capture complex three‐dimensional fragmentation formation and damage morphology. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling and Thermal Analysis of Tray‐layered Fruits inside Ventilated Packages during Forced‐air Precooling

Ventilated packaging is widely used in the forced‐air precooling practice for horticultural produce. Fresh fruits are living organisms which are sensitive to temperature in turn related to airflow and heat transfer inside package. In this study, a transient mathematical model considering heat of respiration and evaporation is developed to predict the thermal response of tray‐layered fruits in ventilated packages during forced‐air precooling. Specifically, the heat source is combined with the energy conservation equation and loaded into numerical solution by User Defined Function (UDF). Temperature profiles of three variously distributed circular and oblong vents in three different patterns (spaced, paralleled and crossed stacking) are simulated, separately. The results show that the heat source affects fruit cooling process, and the layered fruit in paralleled stacking pattern tends to be cooled better than others. Furthermore, the results indicate that vertical oblong vent could improve the longitudinal and lateral airflow, while non‐central vent design could greatly improve the overall cooling performance. Definitely a triangular distribution of three circular vents was superior to laterally distributed centre vents with 66.5% higher uniformity and 2.5°C lower of the highest temperature. Compared with the three identical vertical oblong vent conditions, vent design with one hand hole and two side vertical oblong vents can be cooled more uniformly with an increase of 6.5%. It is revealed that vents with large major‐to‐minor axis ratio could be applied to balance airflow and ease cooling differences for a rapid but uniform cooling. Experimental validations were performed for Sim2, Sim4 and Sim6, Sim8, Sim9, and good agreement was obtained considering the five vent conditions with the error less than 3.5°C but coordinated later (within the limits of the experimental uncertainty).Thus the numerical model can be used to predict and optimize temperature distribution within precooling packages. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison of a phase‐field model and of a thick level set model for brittle and quasi‐brittle fracture

This paper provides a comparison between one particular phase‐field damage model and a thick level set (TLS) damage model for the simulation of brittle and quasi‐brittle fractures. The TLS model is recasted in a variational framework, which allows comparison with the phase‐field model. Using this framework, both the equilibrium equations and the damage evolution laws are guided by the initial choice of the potential energy. The potentials of the phase‐field model and of the TLS model are quite different. TLS potential enforces a priori a bound on damage gradient whereas the phase‐field potential does not. The TLS damage model is defined such that the damage profile fits to the one of the phase‐field model for a beam of infinite length. The model parameters are calibrated to obtain the same surface fracture energy. Numerical results are provided for unidimensional and bidimensional tests for both models. Qualitatively, similar results are observed, although TLS model is observed to be less sensible to boundary conditions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Non‐local boundary integral formulation for softening damage

A strongly non‐local boundary element method (BEM) for structures with strain‐softening damage treated by an integral‐type operator is developed. A plasticity model with yield limit degradation is implemented in a boundary element program using the initial‐stress boundary element method with iterations in each load increment. Regularized integral representations and boundary integral equations are used to avoid the difficulties associated with numerical computation of singular integrals. A numerical example is solved to verify the physical correctness and efficiency of the proposed formulation. The example consists of a softening strip perforated by a circular hole, subjected to tension. The strain‐softening damage is described by a plasticity model with a negative hardening parameter. The local formulation is shown to exhibit spurious sensitivity to cell mesh refinements, localization of softening damage into a band of single‐cell width, and excessive dependence of energy dissipation on the cell size. By contrast, the results for the non‐local theory are shown to be free of these physically incorrect features. Compared to the classical non‐local finite element approach, an additional advantage is that the internal cells need to be introduced only within the small zone (or band) in which the strain‐softening damage tends to localize within the structure. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Delamination Depth in Composites Laminates With Interface Elements and Ultrasound Analysis

Abstract: This paper deals with the impact‐induced damage depth for laminated composite plates under low velocity impact. The numerical model developed here is an interface element compatible with the eight‐node isoparametric hexahedral element, present in Modulef software. This new element allows modelling the behaviour of the damage interface, considering a three‐dimensional stress state, the interpenetration constraint and the propagation of the delamination. The use of the interface element and of the damage model is proposed to predict damage for low impact velocities and to obtain accurately the shape, size and defect depth of delaminations in carbon‐epoxy [0,90,0,90]_2s and [0,90]₈ laminates. The laminate is also simulated using a damage model based on the indirect use of fracture mechanics implemented in Abaqus software. The defects in the impacted specimens were then inspected by ultrasonic C‐scan technique and by electronic speckle pattern interferometry as a comparative method. A good agreement between numerical results and experimental testing is demonstrated.     

纤维金属层板低速冲击试验和数值仿真

为开展纤维金属层板（FML）低速冲击有限元数值仿真研究,改进了传统的连续损伤力学（CDM）模型,然后对FML落锤低速冲击试验进行数值仿真,并与实验结果进行对比验证。分别采用5.11 J 和10.33 J冲击能量对FML进行落锤低速冲击试验,得到冲击载荷、位移和能量时程曲线,分析FML的动态响应和失效模式。建立了考虑塑性应变、压缩刚度衰减特征和纤维拉伸断裂损伤的新CDM模型,描述S2-玻璃纤维/环氧树脂（S2-galss/epoxy）复合材料的损伤本构,并编写VUMAT子程序,通过ABAQUS/Explicit求解器对FML落锤冲击试验进行数值仿真。研究结果表明：低能量冲击条件下,FML背面主要为鼓包和裂纹等失效模式,位移峰值随冲击能量的提高而增加,冲击载荷峰值在穿透前也随冲击能量的提高而增加;采用改进的CDM模型描述FML中S2-galss/epoxy复合材料铺层后,有限元数值计算可以较好地预测FML低速冲击载荷下的动态响应;有限元数值仿真结果表明,FML中第2层复合材料铺层发生的纤维断裂损伤比第1层的更严重。     

Mean‐strain 10‐node tetrahedron with energy‐sampling stabilization

In this study, a new mean‐strain 10‐node tetrahedral element is developed using energy‐sampling stabilization. The proposed 10‐node tetrahedron is composed of several four‐node linear tetrahedral elements, four tetrahedra in the corners and four tetrahedra that tile the central octahedron in three possible sets of four‐node linear tetrahedra, corresponding to three different choices for the internal diagonal. The assumed strains are calculated from mean ‘basis function gradients.’ The energy‐sampling technique introduced previously for removing zero‐energy modes in the mean‐strain hexahedron is adapted for the present element: the stabilization energy is evaluated on the four‐corner tetrahedra. The proposed element naturally leads to a lumped‐mass matrix and does not have unphysical low‐energy vibration modes. For simplicity, we limit our developments to linear elasticity with compressible and nearly incompressible material. The numerical tests demonstrate that the present element performs well compared with the classical 10‐node tetrahedral elements for shell and plate structures, and nearly incompressible materials. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

低速大质量球头弹冲击下薄板穿甲破坏机理数值分析

为探讨薄板穿甲破坏机理,采用动态非线性有限元,结合弹道冲击试验,分析了薄板在低速大质量球头弹体冲击下的穿甲破坏过程及其变形机理,薄板的变形吸能规律及破坏模式,并将有限元分析结果与实验结果进行了比较,有限元分析结果与实验结果吻合良好.结果表明:薄板穿甲破坏过程大致可分为三个阶段,即隆起变形阶段,碟形变形阶段和弹体贯穿阶段.其中薄板的隆起变形主要由剪力和弯矩引起的;隆起变形结束后,碟形变形区膜力逐渐增大,超过动态屈服极限,并随冲击速度的减小而增大,到弹道极限附近成为最主要的广义应力;低速冲击下碟型变形是靶板主要的变形吸能方式.大质量低速球头弹冲击下薄板的穿甲破坏模式可归纳为三种:隆起-碟形变形,隆起-碟形变形-贯穿破坏和隆起-贯穿破坏.     

Influence of Shock Pre‐Compression Stress and Tensile Strain Rate on the Spall Behaviour of Mild Steel

Abstract: A series of plate‐impact spall experiments were conducted to investigate the influence of shock pre‐compression stress and tensile strain rates on the dynamic tensile fracture (or spall) behaviour of shocked mild steel. The shock pre‐compression stress amplitude and tensile strain rate were controlled independently to ensure that only one single‐loading parameter varied for each experiment. A push–pull type velocity interferometer system for any reflector (VISAR) was used to measure the free surface velocity profiles of samples. It is observed from experimental results that the influence of shock pre‐compression stress amplitude on the spall strength is less significant in the range attained in these experiments, whereas with increasing tensile strain rate, an evident 65% increase of spall strength is determined in the present tensile strain rate range of 10⁴ to 10⁶ s^?1. VISAR data are compared with finite‐difference calculations employing a modified damage function model with a percolation–relaxation function, and a good agreement between the calculation and the experiments was obtained. Preliminary simulation results also revealed that a critical damage exists, which physically corresponds to the critical intervoid ligament distance for triggering the onset of void coalescence, and may be regarded as a material parameter for describing the dynamic tensile fracture and independent of the loading conditions.     

A generalized finite‐strain damage model for quasi‐incompressible hyperelasticity using hybrid formulation

A new generalized damage model for quasi‐incompressible hyperelasticity in a total Lagrangian finite‐strain framework is presented. A Kachanov‐like reduction factor (1 ? D) is applied on the deviatoric part of the hyperelastic constitutive model. Linear and exponential softening are defined as damage evolution laws, both describable in terms of only two material parameters. The model is formulated following continuum damage mechanics theory such that it can be particularized for any hyperelastic model based on the volumetric–isochoric split of the Helmholtz free energy. However, in the present work, it has been implemented in an in‐house finite element code for neo‐Hooke and Ogden hyperelasticity. The details of the hybrid formulation used are also described. A couple of three‐dimensional examples are presented to illustrate the main characteristics of the damage model. The results obtained reproduce a wide range of softening behaviors, highlighting the versatility of the formulation proposed. The damage formulation has been developed to be used in conjunction with mixing theory in order to model the behavior of fibered biological tissues. As an example, the markedly different behaviors of the fundamental components of the rectus sheath were reproduced using the damage model, obtaining excellent correlation with the experimental results from literature. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Numerical plate testing for linear two‐scale analyses of composite plates with in‐plane periodicity

A method of numerical plate testing (NPT) for composite plates with in‐plane periodic heterogeneity is proposed. In the two‐scale boundary value problem, a thick plate model is employed at macroscale, while three‐dimensional solids are assumed at microscale. The NPT, which is nothing more or less than the homogenization analysis, is in fact a series of microscopic analyses on a unit cell that evaluates the macroscopic plate stiffnesses. The specific functional forms of microscopic displacements are originally presented so that the relationship between the macroscopic resultant stresses/moments and strains/curvatures to be consistent with the microscopic equilibrated state. In order to perform NPT by using general‐purpose FEM programs, we introduce control nodes to facilitate the multiple‐point constraints for in‐plane periodicity. Numerical examples are presented to verify that the proposed method of NPT reproduces the plate stiffnesses in classical plate and laminate theories. We also perform a series of homogenization, macroscopic, and localization analyses for an in‐plane heterogeneous composite plate to demonstrate the performance of the proposed method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A modified scaled boundary finite element method for three‐dimensional dynamic soil‐structure interaction in layered soil

This paper is devoted to the analysis of elastodynamic problems in 3D‐layered systems which are unbounded in the horizontal direction. For this purpose, a finite element model of the near field is coupled to a scaled boundary finite element model (SBFEM) of the far field. The SBFEM is originally based on describing the geometry of a half‐space or full‐space domain by scaling the geometry of the near field / far field interface using a radial coordinate. A modified form of the SBFEM for waves in a 2D layer is also available. None of these existing formulations can be used to describe a 3D‐layered medium. In this paper, a modified SBFEM for the analysis of 3D‐layered continua is derived. Based on the use of a scaling line instead of a scaling centre, a suitable scaled boundary transformation is proposed. The derivation of the corresponding scaled boundary finite element (SBFE) equations in displacement and stiffness is presented in detail. The latter is a nonlinear differential equation with respect to the radial coordinate, which has to be solved numerically for each excitation frequency considered in the analysis. Various numerical examples demonstrate the accuracy of the new method and its correct implementation. These include rigid circular and square foundations embedded in or resting on the surface of layered homogeneous or inhomogeneous 3D soil deposits over rigid bedrock. Hysteretic damping is assumed in some cases. The dynamic stiffness coefficients calculated using the proposed method are compared with analytical solutions or existing highly accurate numerical results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ballistic Limit of Single and Layered Aluminium Plates

Abstract: This paper presents an experimental and finite‐element investigation of ballistic limit of thin single and layered aluminium target plates. Blunt‐, ogive‐ and hemispherical‐nosed steel projectiles of 19 mm diameter were impacted on single and layered aluminium target plates of thicknesses 0.5, 0.71, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3 mm with the help of a pressure gun to obtain the ballistic limit in each case. The ballistic limit of target plate was found to be considerably affected by the projectile nose shape. Thin monolithic target plates as well as layered in‐contact plates offered lowest ballistic resistance against the impact of ogive‐nosed projectiles. Thicker monolithic plates on the other hand, offered lowest resistance against the impact of blunt‐nosed projectiles. The ballistic resistance of the layered targets decreased with increase in the number of layers for constant overall target thickness. Axi‐symmetric numerical simulations were performed with ABAQUS/Explicit to compare the numerical predictions with experiments. 3D numerical simulations were also performed for single plate of 1.0 mm thickness and two layered plate of 0.5 mm thickness impacted by blunt‐, ogive‐ and hemispherical‐nosed projectiles. Good agreement was found between the numerical simulations and experiments. 3D numerical simulations accurately predicted the failure mode of target plates.