Numerical Assessment of Compression Strength After Impact for Impact for Enhanced Aircraft Sustainment

摘要

A means by which the strength of composite aircraft structures can degrade significantly in-service is via low velocity impact induced while in maintenance (e.g. tool drop). Recently, improvements in the fidelity of non-destructive characterization and physics-based modelling have made possible significantly improved strength assessment. The post-impact residual strength was predicted using damage mapping along with the widely known Rx-FEM and the CB2ATA frameworks that permit discrete and discrete damage informed continuum damage modelling. The results showed that the complexity of the damage mechanics means that the solution is sensitive to a number of input parameters that need to be accurately obtained. This includes accurate mapping of the delamination and lamina compression strength. The studies herein in combination with the development of non-destructive evaluation methods seek to provide the foundation for a capability to predict accurately the performance of damaged and degraded composite structures for airworthiness decision making.