Finite Element Analysis of Dynamic Mechanical Responses of Aluminum Honeycomb Sandwich Structures Under Low-Velocity Impact

Abstract

Honeycomb sandwich structures, composed of many regularly arranged hexagonal cores and two skins, often show excellent impact performance due to strong energy absorption ability under impact loads. This paper studies dynamic mechanical responses of aluminum honeycomb sandwich structures. Parametric geometry modeling using UG software and finite element analysis using ANSYS explicit dynamics module are performed. Finite difference algorithm based on time-stepping integration is used to get the impact displacement, and stress and strain with time. Effects of different impact velocities, core length and wall thickness on the distributions of plastic stress and strain are also explored. Results show that thinner honeycomb side length and thicker wall thickness lead to stronger impact resistance. This research provides theoretical support for promoting optimal design of lightweight structures against impact loads.