Simulation of Eccentric Impact of Square and Rectangular Composite Laminates Embedded with SMA

Area of Science:

• Composite Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Laminated composite plates are susceptible to impact damage.
• Shape memory alloy (SMA) wires offer potential for damage mitigation and structural integrity enhancement.
• Understanding impact behavior is crucial for designing resilient composite structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate low-velocity impact responses of composite plates with embedded SMA wires.
• To analyze the influence of impact location (central vs. eccentric) on damage mechanisms.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of SMA wires in mitigating impact-induced failures.

Main Methods:

• Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations were employed.
• A super-elastic SMA constitutive model was implemented using a user-defined material subroutine in Abaqus/Explicit.
• The 3D Hashin failure criterion and a cohesive damage zone model were used to simulate material damage and delamination.

Main Results:

• The study analyzed both central and eccentric low-velocity impacts on square and rectangular plates.
• Parametric studies were conducted to assess the effects of impact eccentricity.
• FEM simulations provided insights into damage initiation and delamination propagation.

Conclusions:

• The finite element method effectively models impact behavior in SMA-reinforced composite plates.
• Impact eccentricity significantly influences the damage patterns and severity.
• The study provides a foundation for optimizing SMA integration in composite structures for improved impact resistance.