Analysis of low velocity impact response of glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite with shape memory alloy incorporation

Abstract

The current article investigates about degradation of lightweight materials in aircraft structural components resulting from low-velocity impacts, a common cause of failure. Although subsonic collisions do not cause immediate external damage to the structure, they significantly reduce the material's stiffness and impact strength. The study explores the performance of intelligent hybrid thermoplastic composite plates subjected to low-speed impacts, both numerically and experimentally. Particularly, the behavior of laminated composites with integrated shape memory alloy (SMA) fibers is discussed in this study. SMA wires are inserted into the composite laminate fabric layer located on the intermediate planes. The study revealed that incorporating SMA fibers increases the damage tolerance and stiffness of the laminated composites compared to standard composite structures. The compounds exhibit a noticeable increase in hardness and energy levels before failure.