We report experiments and simulations of the dynamic and quasistatic compressive
response of single and hex-arrayed thick aluminum tubes. The investigation aims to
further characterize how tube-based sandwich structures absorb energy. First, we
study by compression tests the quasistatic buckling of single tubes of 7075
aluminum, an alloy showing sufficient ductility and plasticity to make it
potentially a good choice for energy absorbing devices. The experiments show
geometry-dependent buckling modes. The corresponding finite element numerical
simulations correlate well and will help estimate the maximum load level, and
the buckling and postbuckling responses. Second, we study the dynamic
buckling of sandwiched, hex-arrayed 3003 aluminum tubes. The simulations
and experimental results correlate well and show a remarkable increase in
energy absorbing capacity, which is caused by the postbuckling interaction of
neighboring tubes. They also show that, as the tube spacing is decreased, the
overall energy absorbed increases significantly. We also simulate how varying
tube length and thickness affect the buckling of the array under dynamic
loading.
Keywords
sandwich structures, aluminum tubes, dynamic compression,
quasistatic compression, LS\_DYNA, physics-based material
model
Center of Excellence for Advanced
Materials
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of California San Diego
La Jolla, CA 92093-0416
United States
Center of Excellence for Advanced
Materials
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of California San Diego
La Jolla, CA 92093-0416
United States
Center of Excellence for Advanced
Materials
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
University of California San Diego
La Jolla, CA 92093-0416
United States