PREDICTION OF THE ONSET OF DAMAGE IN UNI-DIRECTIONAL LAMAINATES UNDER TRANSVERSE IMPACT LOADING USING FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS

Abstract

With the increase in application of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastics (CFRP) as principle materials in commercial airlines, the ability to predict the damage from transverse impact events has become an important parameter in the design of airframe sections that can be exposed to impact events. The purpose of this research is to investigate the applicability of Finite Element Analysis (FEA), particularly using the commercial solver Abaqus/Explicit, to predict the onset of damage in laminated plates. Closed forms solutions have been developed in the past to predict the onset of damage, but only in terms of mid ply delaminations. The research presented in this thesis looks to use a Continuum Damage Mechanics material model in Abaqus, coupled with surface based cohesive interactions to simulate the interlaminar bonds between the lamina. To evaluate the predictive capability of the methodology, the onset of damage prediction will be compared against experimental data, examining when the damage begins to accumulate in the FEM and if there is a corresponding change in slope of the experimental Force vs. Displacement curve.