Blast Performance of Composite Sandwich Panels

Abstract

This chapter details the experiments performed and simulations developed regarding the blast loading of composite sandwich structures by Dr. Hari Arora, Dr. Mark Kelly and Dr. Emily Rolfe over the past 10 years, with support from George Irven, Rob Quinn, Dr. Haibao Liu and Dr. Paul Hooper. Material and geometrical parameters have been varied, including face-sheet material, polymer interlayers, core material, thickness and graded density cores. Furthermore, the effect of stand-off distance has been investigated during air and underwater blast along with repeated loading during air blast. High-speed photography was employed throughout the air blast experiments, in conjunction with Digital Image Correlation (DIC), to monitor the deformation of these structures. Damage has been revealed using DIC and confirmed in post-test inspection. Strain gauge data was used to monitor the response of panels subjected to underwater blast. The effect of the backing medium (air or water) of the panel has been identified during underwater blast loading. The accumulated results illustrate how blast resilience of composite sandwich panels can be improved. Numerical simulations have been developed to support experimental investigations. These simulations have been validated against experimental data and can be used during the design process, thereby reducing the number of large scale experiments required. Furthermore, the simulations highlight the importance of boundary conditions with regards to blast resistance design and show the importance of damage development. The inherent blast resilience of composite sandwich structures has been demonstrated by these blast investigations and their associated results. The increasing demand for composite sandwich structures in marine, aerospace and automotive applications will continue to drive ongoing improvements.