Coupled thermo-mechanical numerical modelling of carbon fibre reinforced composites impacted with different projectile configurations

A key challenge in building a predictive numerical model for composite structures is the ability to accurately characterize their failure behaviour, especially under impact loading. In this paper, a coupled thermo-mechanical modelling technique and the associated numerical simulations of carbon fibre-reinforced composite panels under the high-velocity impact (HVI) are introduced. The modelling technique aims to evaluate the progressive damage failure analysis (PDFA) of a flat composite panel made of T800/F3900 unidirectional carbon fibre and epoxy, with 16-ply in a quasi-isotropic layup configuration [(0/90/45/-45)2]S. Mechanical characterization test data of the proposed composite materials have been obtained from FAA experimental campaign. High fidelity complete stacked shell-cohesive method is implemented to evaluate composite delaminations and intralaminar damage. The heat generated due to the projectile kinetic energy and impact-induced damage energy transformation is investigated with the proposed numerical coupled model. Thermal effects on the mechanical performance of composite targets are investigated based on the application of the constitutive transient thermal coupling method available in LS-DYNA®. Moreover, the explicit dynamic finite element analysis presented considers four characteristic aerospace projectiles to compare the development of the damage generated during normal highvelocity impact events. The impact response results of the selected projectile configurations, including rubber cylindrical projectile, bird-like projectile, CFRP composite platelike projectile, and ASTM D8101 aluminium axisymmetric projectile, are compared. Impactors with equivalent kinematic energy are investigated with emphasis on energy transfer mechanisms and the local projectile-induced target deformation, damage, and failure. The study introduces the proposed modelling techniques, energy transfer phenomenon, and damage mechanisms that are observed in the target plates. The proposed numerical technique will be used in future research works to investigate engine bird-strike events and the consequently Fan Blade-Out (FBO) scenario to increase the reliability of aerospace structures and to improve the design numerical methods.