An analogy of RVE-based numerical model and experimental study of Charpy impact on thin carbon/aramid hybrid composites for micro/mini-Belly landing UAV fuselage

Considering the current growth of design and development activities in micro/mini-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), there is a significant need for thin, durable and lightweight composites for their structural applications. Robust and impact-resistant materials are deemed mandatory concerning the harsh operational conditions where these UAVs are employed. Numerical models for composite materials at various loading conditions can bring up tremendous pace in various design and manufacturing aspects of such competent and tailored engineering materials. Numerical simulations of low velocity flatwise Charpy impact are performed on carbon/aramid hybrid laminates. The modelling is based on representative volume element (RVE) micro-scale property homogenisation in ANSYS Workbench, followed by macroscale impact analysis in ABAQUS/EXPLICIT. The damage propagation was determined using the Hashin failure criteria. The numerically predicted results were validated against the experimental data concerning the energy absorbed and impact strength. The results provided by the modelling are in good correlation with the experimental observations. The numerically obtained force-time data correlated the damage propagation and failure modes observed in the post-impact damage morphology in the laminate during the non-instrumented Charpy test.