On the modelling aspect of low-velocity impact composite laminates / M.S. Meon...[et al.]

Composites suffer a degradation of structural stiffness due to various types of
impact loading resulting in damage which is difficult to observe from the
surface of the structure. The paper deals with the finite element model (FEM)
to study the possible modelling procedures in low-velocity impact (LVI) and
failure mechanism of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite
laminate of CCF300/epoxy and its structural responses. In finite element
calculation, a proposed three-dimensional progressive damage model is used
to determine the intralaminar damage, whereas the cohesive contact
formulation is employed to analyse the interlaminar damage. The failure
model performances are validated and verified based on different boundary
conditions while maintaining the impact energy. Through simulation, the
variation in boundary conditions significantly changes the structural
responses and energy absorption of the laminates. It is hoped this study will
be a great tool in determining the different composite impact scenarios.