Dynamic response of flexible container during the impact with the ground

Abstract

In order to understand and improve the crashworthiness of airdropped flexible containers, this paper presents the work of numerical simulations about the dynamic behaviour of the container under impact loading. A finite element model of the container is constructed and used to predict the dynamic response of the container. Water movement and sloshing in the container are modelled using the multi-material ALE method; interaction between the container and the fluid is studied by the penalty method. Mechanical properties of the fabric composite are obtained by applying periodic boundary conditions on the unit cell model. Numerical results are compared with experiment data for the validation of the model and the approaches. With a range of system parameters, numerical tests show that the shoulder of the container is the most vulnerable part during the impact. Both the drop heights and the amount of water have great effects on the crashworthiness of the container. The maximum dynamic stress of the container is proportional to the drop height. The amount of water in the container influences the failure of the container.