Analysis of Crushing Response of Composite Crashworthy Structures
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Analysis of Crushing Response of Composite Crashworthy Structures Matthew David & Alastair F. Johnson & H. Voggenreiter
Received: 11 September 2012 / Accepted: 25 October 2012 / Published online: 28 November 2012 # Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2012
Abstract The paper describes quasi-static and dynamic tests to characterise the energy absorption properties of polymer composite crash energy absorbing segment elements under axial loads. Detailed computer tomography scans of failed specimens are used to identify local compression crush failure mechanisms at the crush front. The varied crushing morphology between the compression strain rates identified in this paper is observed to be due to the differences in the response modes and mechanical properties of the strain dependent epoxy matrix. The importance of understanding the role of strain rate effects in composite crash energy absorbing structures is highlighted in this paper. Keywords Composite structures . Crashworthiness . Energy absorption . Crush test method . Composites failure modes . Dynamic crushing response
1 Introduction The increase usage of polymer composite materials in the aerospace and automotive industry has generated considerable interest in using composite materials for crashworthy structures that have the ability to absorb impact energy through a controlled failure in progressive crushing. By tailoring the fibre type, matrix type, fibre-matrix interface, fibre stacking sequence and fibre orientation, composite crashworthy structures have been shown to have excellent energy absorption performance characteristics [1, 2]. To understand the energy absorption and failure mechanisms of crashworthy structures, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) has developed a chamfered tube segment specimen [3], which is easy to fabricate and gives reproducible axial crush failures under quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions [4]. This may be used for screening of different energy absorbing composite materials and provides design data for crashworthy design studies. The paper describes a successful methodology for M. David (*) : A. F. Johnson : H. Voggenreiter German Aerospace Center (DLR), Institute of Structures and Design, Pffaffenwaldring, 38-40, Stuttgart, Germany e-mail: [email protected]
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Appl Compos Mater (2013) 20:773–787
crush testing of chamfered tube segment specimens in both quasi-static and dynamic loading conditions with an analysis method to compare the varied crushing characteristics and energy absorption performances between the two loading conditions. Tests on the chamfered tube segment specimens are presented in detail, with particular emphasis on the influence of loading rate on energy absorbed and crush failure mechanisms. The testing methodology includes the use of a high speed camera to capture the crushing behaviour of the specimen during the crush tests. In addition to capturing the crushing behaviour of the specimen, High-resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) scanning of the specimen was performed to enable a detaile
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