High-velocity impact is one of the most common load states to which composite material structures can be subjected during their service life and can cause a sudden loss of properties favouring its catastrophic failure. Impact loads are usually caused by external elements such as debris, particles carried by the wind, hail, fragments derived from an explosion, etc. All these cases can be represented as high-velocity impacts; however, in general, these impacts are not usually reduced to the action of a single projectile on the structure but can be represented as multiple projectiles that impact simultaneously, or sequentially, on it. This is known as multiple impact phenomenon. In this work a numerical model is developed, using a commercial finite-element software, that allows to analyse the phenomenon of multiple impact in composite material laminates, focusing attention on the wave’s interaction between projectiles. The model is validated with experimental results from the scientific literature for a single high-velocity impact. The interaction among waves generated by the action of two projectiles impacting at the same velocity, and that are separated at a certain distance from each other (simultaneous high-velocity multiple impact), is studied in terms of out-of-plane displacement, and relative movement between projectiles.
Abstract High-velocity impact is one of the most common load states to which composite material structures can be subjected during their service life and can cause a sudden loss of [...]