Impact Damage Tolerance Of Carbon/Epoxy Quasi-Isotropic Laminate, Using Numerical Analysis Method

Abstract

The study is about to see how the impact damage on quasi isotropic laminated composites due to variable velocity is done by using finite element analysis. The software that was chosen to be used in this analysis is ABAQUS, Patran and Ultraedit software. The material that was chosen to be experimented in this study is carbon-epoxy composites, this material are chosen is because of the large demand on the usage of aviation and aerospace industry. The usage of carbon in aircraft design structure has achieved for almost 50% of all the main airframe structure. The numerical study is conducted on carbon/epoxy composites with quasi-isotropic ply laminates and use 20 plies of composites. The method of this composites is tested is by using high weight (HW) called impactor throughout the entire test series. By using this impactor multiple variation of velocity is applied to this impactor to compare the impact damage on the composites structure. A 3D finite element model by using solid element was developed first in order to analyze the damage effect that occurred on the structure. The model is simulated based from the input (.inp) file that is then later translated by the ABAQUS software for the visual outcome of the impact damage. The best part of it is that by using numerical analysis (Finite Element Analysis), this project offers less cost than doing the experimental testing and the result that is acquired is accurate. By using the numerical analysis also helps in reducing time frame in acquiring the output data and provides more accurate results.