Response of Fiber Composite Cylinders Under Impact Loading

The problem of impact loading continues to be of significant importance in fiber composite structures because of the susceptibility to damage from service conditions. Much of the experience and laboratory tests has been accumulated on impact of flat plates. However impact of structures with curvature, such as cylinders or curved panels, is also of significant interest. The curvature gives rise to differences in the impact response relative to flat plates. The present work gives analysis results for dynamic impact of plates. The results show a number of interesting features. The curvature tends to stiffen the cylinder relative to a flat plate of similar aspect ratio, thus giving a higher relative impact force. The curvature also tends to localize the stresses, resulting in a smaller and more intense region of high stress adjacent to the impact site. Another feature that results from the stiffness of cylinders relative to flat plates is that the range of conditions for which a quasi-static analysis gives sufficient accuracy is greater than would be expected, based on experience with flat plate impacts.