Development of a Finite Element Model for Progressive Damage Analysis of Composite Laminates Subjected to Low Velocity Impact
Fiber reinforced polymer laminates are susceptible to transverse low velocity impact which can cause significant damages, such as matrix cracks, delamination and fiber breakage. A 3-Dimensional (3-D) finite element model (FEM) is presented for the progressive damage analysis of fiber reinforced laminates subjected to low velocity impact. The constitutive equations of material used in the FEM are based on the continuum damage mechanics (CDM). The modified HASHIN failure criterions are used in the material model to detect the initiation of all the failure modes of laminates. A simplified material stiffness degradation scheme is used to characterize the material degradation due to damages. The failure criterions and material degradation scheme have been incorporated in the software ABAQUS/Explicit through the user defined material subroutine VUMAT. The available experiments of thin carbon fiber reinforced epoxy laminates subjected to low velocity impact were used to validate the developed FEM. The good agreement of the impact contact force history and damage area between the analysis results and the experimental data shows the validation of the developed FEM.