FEM ANALYSES OF LOW VELOCITY IMPACT BEHAVIOUR OF SANDWICH PANELS WITH EPS FOAM CORE

Abstract

This study presents a numerical investigation on low velocity impact response of sandwich panels with EPS foam core. The face-sheets and foam core are made of aluminum 6061-T6 and expanded polystyrene foam (EPS). The effect of foam core density was investigated on the impact energy absorption of the panel. The dynamic response of the panels was predicted using the finite element analysis package ABAQUS/Explicit. The material and geometrical nonlinearities were considered and the foam material was modeled as a crushable foam material. The cohesive response of the adhesive interface was modeled using the cohesive zone model. The temporal variations of contact force, kinetic energy histories and central permanent deflections were compared for different foam core densities and impact energies. The peak contact force levels and central permanent deflections are increased with increasing the impact energies. As the foam core density is increased, the capability of energy absorbing is increased.

Keywords

• Impact,Sandwich Panel,Foam,Non-Linear Finite Element Analysis,Cohesive Zone Model

References

1. [1] V. Rizov, Non-linear indentation behavior of foam core sandwich composite materials—A 2D approach, Computational Materials Science, Vol. 35, pp. 107-115, 2006.
2. [2] P.M. Schubel, J.J. Luo, I.M. Daniel, Low velocity impact behavior of composite sandwich panels, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, Vol. 36, pp. 1389 – 1396, 2005.
3. [3] L. Torre, J. Kenny, Impact testing and simulation of composite sandwich structures for civil transportation, Composite Structures, Vol. 50, pp.257 – 267, 2000.
4. [4] J. Zhou, M. Z. Hassan, Z. Guan, W.J. Cantwell, The low velocity impact response of foam-based sandwich panels, Composites Science and Technology, Vol. 72, pp. 1781-1790, 2012.
5. [5] Md. A. Hazizan, W.J. Cantwell, The low velocity impact response of foam-based sandwich structures, Composites: Part B, Vol. 33, pp. 193-204, 2002.
6. [6] F. Xia, X. Wu, Work on Low-velocity Impact Properties of Foam Sandwich Composites with Various Face Sheets, Journal of Reinforced Plastics and Composites, Vol. 29, pp. 1045-1054, 2010.
7. [7] L. Smakosz, J. Tejchman, Evaluation of strength, deformability and failure mode of composite structural insulated panels, Materials & Design, Vol. 54, pp. 1068-1082, 2014.
8. [8] R. Campilho, M. Banea, J. Neto, L. da Silva, Modelling adhesive joints with cohesive zone models: effect of the cohesive law shape of the adhesive layer, International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, Vol. 56, pp. 44:48, 2013.

9. [9] J. Wang, A.M. Waas, H. Wang, Experimental and numerical study on the low-velocity impact behavior of foam-core sandwich panels, Composite Structures, Vol. 96, pp. 298-311, 2013.
10. [10] H. Wang, K. R. Ramakrishnan, K. Shankar, Experimental study of the medium velocity impact response of sandwich panels with different cores, Materials & Design, Vol. 99, pp. 68-82, 2016.
11. [11] U.E. Ozturk and G. Anlas, Energy absorption calculations in multiple compressive loading of polymeric foams, Materials & Design, Vol.30, pp. 15-22, 2009.
12. [12] I. Elnasri and H. Zhao, Impact perforation of sandwich panels with aluminum foam core: A numerical and analytical study, International Journal of Impact Engineering, Vol.96, pp. 50-60, 2016.
13. [13] R. Gunes and K. Arslan, Development of numerical realistic model for predicting low-velocity impact response of aluminium honeycomb sandwich structures, Journal of Sandwich Structures and Materials, Vol.132, pp. 1129-1140, 2016.
14. [14] D. Feng and F. Aymerich, Damage prediction in composite sandwich panels subjected to low-velocity impact, Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, Vol.52, pp. 12-22, 2013.
15. [15] ABAQUS/Explicit (Version 6.14), User’s manual, Finite Element Software. Available from: http://www.simulia. com