High-speed Digital Imaging and Computational Modeling of Hybrid Metal-Composite Plates Subjected to Water-based Impulsive Loading

Abstract

The response of hybrid metal/composite plates subjected to water-based impulsive loads is analyzed using experiments and computations. The analysis focuses on the effect of varying material properties on load-carrying capacity, deflection, impulse transmission, energy dissipation and damage. The three structural designs studied are unmodified monolithic aluminum plates, unmodified monolithic composite plates and hybrid metal/composite laminates. The plates are circumferentially clamped and subjected to transverse, out-of-plane impulses of varying intensities. The experiments are supported by fully dynamic numerical simulations using a Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian (CEL) framework which accounts for fluid–structure interactions and damage and failure in the constituent materials. Results show that load intensity determines the deformation and failure modes. The monolithic composite plates exhibit large-scale in-ply cracking, delamination and shear rupture near the clamped edges, while the aluminum plates undergo plastic deformation and petalling. The hybrid metal/composite structures show superior blast-resistance than both types of monolithic plates in terms of failure loads and energy dissipation, with the stacking sequence of the composite and metal layers significantly influencing the behavior.