Investigation into design strategy of aluminum alloy-CFRP hybrid tube under multi-angle compression loading

Abstract

The metal/CFRP energy-absorbing tube is a lightweight structure with high energy absorption efficiency, but a reasonable design strategy is essential to give full play to the performance. Based on the finite element method, the energy absorption behavior of the AL/CFRP hybrid tube under multi-angle compression conditions is studied to explore the energy absorption contribution mechanism of two materials. First, a comparative study of different tube configurations is implemented based on the validated finite element (FE) model. It is found that aluminum alloy is the main source of energy absorbed by the hybrid tube, and carbon fiber can induce a stable deformation mode of the hybrid tube by imposing lateral deformation constraints on the AL tube. Then, a detailed parametric study is performed to explore the influences of the winding angle of CFRP, the thickness ratio of constituent materials, and the diameter of the hybrid tube on the comprehensive energy absorption capacity and energy absorption contribution of CFRP under multi-angle compression conditions. Finally, an application recommendation for AL/CFRP hybrid tube is given to provide a reasonable design strategy. Furthermore, a crashworthiness comparison of the proposed AL/CFRP hybrid tube and typical energy-absorbing structures is conducted to reveal the superiority of the AL/CFRP hybrid tube through the proposed design strategies in the energy absorption capacity and manufacturability. This research provides valuable suggestions and guidelines for designing multi-material energy-absorbing components facing complex loading conditions.