Design Optimization and Characterization of Helicoidal Composites with Enhanced Impact Resistance
Abstract
The impact response of helicoidal composites was evaluated under low and high speed impact conditions. Helicoidal composites in which the ply-to-ply angle mismatch is minimized to 10 degrees were fabricated out off unidirectional carbon-epoxy lamina and plain-weave glass-epoxy lamina. These laminates were shown to be significantly superior to standard lay-ups under quasi-static loading conditions. Low speed impact tests were used to determine the suitability o numerical simulations (including cohesive zone modeling) to capture the dynamic response of helicoidal plates subjected to transverse impact. High speed impact tests were used to determine the ballistic limit; v_50 values in the range of 150 to 200 m/s were obtained on laminates that were about 0.25 in thick. While a 25% improvement was found in the v_50 of the helicoidal composite, the performance just beyond v_50 was very similar to the standard lay-up. The addition of a more ductile polymer layer - such as polycarbonate - was shown to improve the performance significantly.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 12, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA545035
Entities
People
- Krishnaswamy Ravi-chandar
Organizations
- University of Texas at Austin