Effect of Ply Thickness on Dynamic Damage Progression in Cross-ply Laminates Under Low-velocity Impact

Abstract

In this study, we have conducted in-situ LVI experiments on cross-ply CFRP beams having stacking layups [04/904/02]s and [02/902/02/902/02]s. The progression of damage is observed through high-speed photography. In addition to LVI, quasi-static indentation (QSI) experiments are performed to reduce challenges in monitoring damage progression during the short impact loading interval. QSI experiments provide magnified in-situ observations on the free edge of the beam using a traveling digital microscope. Numerical simulations of these experiments are carried out using the finite element method in ABAQUS/Explicit. The orthotropic constitutive material model, predicting fiber and matrix damage initiation and evolution, is implemented through a VUMAT subroutine. The comparison between numerical simulations and experimental observations allowed us to investigate the influence of ply clustering on the LVI-induced damage mechanisms.

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