Predicting post-impact compression strength of composite laminates under multiple low-velocity impacts

Abstract

Composite structures are usually subjected to multiple low-velocity impacts at different positions, but in-depth exploration is insufficient. In this work, a combination of numerical and experimental methods was used to study the influence of the distance between impact positions (DBIP) on the post-compression damage and failure mechanism of carbon/glass composites under multiple impacts. Ultrasonic C-scan provided deep insights into the damage evolution and failure mechanisms of the specimens under compression after impact (CAI) tests. An integrated computational damage model was established to simulate multiple impact tests at different positions and subsequent compression tests to achieve damage tolerance prediction with high efficiency. The good correlation between numerical and experimental results demonstrated the validity and rationality of the proposed numerical model. Additionally, it is shown that the residual compressive strength and catastrophic failure position are sensitive to the impact positions.