Impact response of fiber metal laminates based on aluminum and UHMWPE composite: Numerical simulation. (March 2022) - Zakeri, Mahnaz
Abstract: Impact behavior of a novel fiber metal laminate based on ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber composite and aluminum sheets is investigated using a comprehensive finite element modeling procedure. A user-defined material subroutine based on continuum damage mechanics is developed. Cohesive zone model is implemented to simulate the inter-laminar damage. High velocity impact simulations showed similar modes of deformation and failure to that observed in experiments, and provide a good approximation for residual velocity against spherical and conical projectiles. The results show that the lay-up sequence is effective on the ballistic behavior of the target exposed to the spherical projectile; but, has little effect if a conical projectile is used. Highlights: Progressive damage model including a 3D model for composite core, considers major failure modes. A homogenized sub-laminate approach is employed to capture the out-of-plane failure mechanisms. Numerical results for residual velocity and damage mechanisms agree well with experimental data. Using the spherical projectile, 3/2 lay-up reduces the energy absorption compared to 2/1 lay-up. In the case of impact with a conical projectile, the configuration type is less effective.