Product Overview:
This tutorial covers the low-velocity impact simulation on a panel made of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) and Aluminum Foam (AL Foam) layers using Abaqus. The CFRP sections are modeled as three-dimensional solid parts with four distinct fiber orientations, while the Aluminum Foam core is represented as a three-dimensional solid part. The projectile is modeled as a three-dimensional shell part.

Foam core sandwich structures, consisting of two strong face sheets separated by a lightweight foam core, offer several advantages. Firstly, the separation of the face sheets increases the moment of inertia without significantly increasing weight, making these structures highly efficient at resisting bending and buckling. Secondly, they provide excellent energy absorption properties, making them ideal for applications like armor systems. The foam core’s high porosity and compressibility allow it to absorb impact energy effectively, and its potential use as a passive safety system in transportation can help reduce fatalities and injuries, addressing both economic and social concerns.

In this simulation, the CFRP material is defined using elastic data combined with failure stress parameters and Hashin’s damage criterion. The Aluminum Foam core behavior is modeled using the Crushable Foam model with hardening to simulate its response under impact. The dynamic explicit step is ideal for this analysis. A surface-to-surface contact with friction properties is applied between the rigid projectile and the top CFRP plate. Additionally, cohesive interactions, defined by stiffness and damage properties, are used between the CFRP sheets and the foam core.

Fixed boundary conditions are assigned to two edges of the panel, and an initial velocity is given to the rigid impactor. A refined mesh is crucial for obtaining accurate results. Upon completion of the simulation, results such as stress, strain, CFRP damage and failure, and displacement can be observed.