A Numerical and Experimental Investigation on the Mechanical Response of Composite Specimens Subjected to Low Velocity Impacts

This paper is focused on the investigation from both a numerical and experimental perspective of the mechanical behavior of fiber reinforced composite specimens subjected to low velocity impacts. The main purpose is to develop a solid numerical model able to accurately simulate the mechanical response of the composite laminates after the impact. The test specimen is a typical 24 plies CAI (100×150 mm2). The experimental tests have been carried out at the Italian Aerospace Research Centre "CIRA" following the guidelines of the standard designation D 7136/D 7136M–07. The numerical models have been implemented in Abaqus environment considering increasing levels of complexity, in order to identify the best parameters setup for an accurate simulation of the impact phenomenon.