Transverse Impact Damage and Energy Absorption of Three-Dimensional Orthogonal Hybrid Woven Composite: Experimental and FEM Simulation

This article presents transverse impact behavior of 3D orthogonal Twaron ®/glass hybrid woven composite both in experimental and FEM simulation. The transverse impact behaviors of the 3D woven composite along warp and weft direction were tested with a modified Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) apparatus. The load—displacement curves and damage morphology were obtained to analyze the energy absorptions and impact damage mechanisms of the composite under different impact velocities. A unit-cell model based on the microstructure of the 3D woven composite was established to determine the composite deformation and damage when the composite impacted by a hemisphere-ended steel rod. Incorporated with the unit-cell model, a elasto-plastic constitute equation of the 3D woven composite and the Critical Damage Area (CDA) failure theory of composites have been implemented as a User Defined Material law (VUMAT) for ABAQUS/Explicit. The FEM calculated load—displacement curves, impact deformations and damages are compared with those in experiment. The good agreements of the comparisons prove the validity of the unit-cell model and user-defined subroutine VUMAT. This manifests the applicability of the VUMAT to the design of the 3D orthogonal woven composite structures under other impulsive loading conditions.