Elastic Responses of a Composite Shell Structure Subjected to Impact Loading

Abstract

Received 17 December 2019; accepted 17 June 2020

This work investigated the elastic responses of a composite laminate shell subjected to a transverse low-velocity impact. The governing equation based on the equations of motion of both the impactor and target was developed to detetrmine the impact force. The displacement of the shell subjected to unit impulse loading was solved using the finite element method. A non-linear differential equation in terms of the indentation depth was derived by incorporating the Hertzian contact law and theory of convolution. Runge-Kutta method was employed to solve the non-linear integro-differential equation, leading to the determination of the impact force at the point of contact between the impactor and the composite shell. The elastic responses including the displacement and stress of the composite laminate shell were evaluated using the finite element method by exerting the impact force on the apex of the composite shell. Present approach was verified with the analytical, experimental and numerical results reported in the existing literatures. The influences of stacking sequence of the composite laminate shell on the impact responses were examined through a series of parametric studies. In addition, impact responses of the spherical shells with different materials such as steel, aluminum and glass were studied.