Behaviour of multiple composite plates subjected to ballistic impact

An experimental and numerical investigation has been carried out to study the behavior of single and multiple laminated panels subjected to ballistic impact. A pressurized air gun is used to shoot the impactor, which can attain sufficient velocity to penetrate all the laminates in a multiple laminated panel. The incidental and residual velocity of the impactor is measured to estimate the energy absorption in the impact process. The commercially available code ABAQUS has been used for the numerical simulation where the impactor has been modeled as a rigid body and the laminates have been modeled with a simple shell element. A user material model based on a continuum damage mechanics concept for failure mechanism of laminated composites has been implemented. Experimental tests showed that the numerical model could satisfactorily predict the energy absorption. Most interestingly, it has clearly demonstrated a feasible phenomenon behind counterintuitive experimental results for the multiple laminated panels. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.A.H. Sheikh, P.H. Bull and J.A. Keple