Analytical and numerical investigation of low velocity impact behavior of aluminum honeycomb core sandwich composites

The low core strength of honeycomb core sandwich composites and the low bending stiffness of the upper and lower surface layers cause sandwich composite materials to suffer local collapse failures under low impact loading. In light of this information, our thesis study presents the damage analysis of a honeycomb core sandwich composite material subjected to low-velocity impact loading by a spherical precipitator. The sandwich composite material is modeled as an infinite, isotropic, plastic membrane on a rigid plastic base. For simplicity, a previously derived second-order polynomial velocity field function is used to describe the upper surface layer deformation under out-of-plane loading. Within the scope of the energy balance equations created using the minimum work principle, the external work rate due to the external force is equalized to the total internal energy consumption rate consumed (absorbed) by the composite structure. The analytical results are verified with the simulation results obtained using the ABAQUS finite element code and it is observed that they are in close agreement in terms of collapse resistance.