Modelling and Simulation of Tyre Impacts on Stiffened Panels

Abstract

This paper describes recent progress on materials modelling and numerical simulation of fibre reinforced composite shell structures subjected to high velocity impact loads. A Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) model for fibre reinforced composites is applied to model both in-ply and delamination failure during loading. The CDM model has been implemented in a commercial explicit element code in which a laminate is modelled by stacked shell elements with cohesive interfaces which fracture when a delamination failure criterion is reached. The code is applied to predict the response of C-frame stiffened composite panels subjected to tyre rubber fragment impacts. In this study, two material technologies (thermoset or thermoplastic resins) used for the manufacturing of the stiffened plates and two orientations of the tyre rubber fragment at impact are considered. The main conclusions are that the thermoset panel undergoes higher damage compared to the thermoplastic one and that the flat impact of the tyre rubber fragment also leads to higher damage compared to a corner or edge impact.