Impact-Resistance of Composite Plates and Panels at Orthogonal Reinforcement with Various Fiber Types

Design of the Flying Vehicles Elements from Polymer Composite Materials


Аuthors

Medvedsky A. L.1*, Martirosov M. I.2**, Khomchenko A. V.3***, Butisin V. E.1****

1. Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after N.E. Zhukovsky (TsAGI), 1, Zhukovsky str., Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, 140180, Russia
2. Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University), 4, Volokolamskoe shosse, Moscow, А-80, GSP-3, 125993, Russia
3. Company “AURUS-AERO”, Moscow, Russian Federation

*e-mail: aleksandr.medvedskiy@tsagi.ru
**e-mail: michaelmartirosov@yandex.ru
***e-mail: khomchenkoanton@yandex.ru
****e-mail: v.butysin@yandex.ru

Abstract

This article presents the results of a combined numerical-and-experimental study on the orthogonal through-thickness stitching effect on the impact-resistance of plates and panels from polymer composite materials (PCM). This work relevance is stipulated by the need for solving on of the main problems of layered composites, namely their proneness to damages at the low-speed impact, which often leads to the internal layer separations, which degrade drastically their strength at compression and total load-bearing capacity of the structure. Although orthogonal stitching is recognized as a promising method for creating interlayer reinforcement that may physically hinder crack propagation and delamination growth, the issue of the stitch fiber material effect itself remains poorly studied.
The research methodology integrates physical testing with advanced numerical simulation. Initially, validation of the computational technique was performed with experimental data from the literature on the flat composite plates subjected to a low-velocity impact (25 J) by a hemispherical impactor. Within the framework of the study the unstitched plates were being compared with the samples stiched by the Vectran fiber with two options of the stitches density (3 × 3 mm and 6 × 6 mm). The high-fidelity finite element models (FEM) of the plates, impactor, and support fixture were developed with the LS-DYNA software package. The composite laminate was modeled with a detailed layer-wise representation, while the stitches were simulated by one-dimensional beam elements with a material model that perceives only tensile forces up to a specified failure limit. A cohesive zone model was employed to simulate initiation and propagation of the interlayer damage. Comparison between numerical predictions and experimental C-scan results demonstrated satisfactory agreement in both shape and total area of delaminations, validating thereby the numerical approach for analyzing various stitching parameters.
Following validation, the study extended its focus to a curved composite panel with identical in-plane dimensions, layup ([+45/90/–45/0/(0/+45/90/90/–45/0)2]S), and impact conditions. The primary objective was effectiveness assessing of five the distinct types of stitching fibres: carbon fibre (Toray T300), ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (Dyneema SK75), liquid crystal polymer (Vectran T150), and two types of the glass fibers (E-Glass and S-Glass). These fibers were selected to have comparable diameters and tensile strengths, which ensured a meaningful comparison of their performance. The stitch density was fixed at 3 × 3 mm for all options.
The numerical simulation results for the curved panel yielded several key findings. The analysis of the predicted delamination zones revealed that all types of stitching significantly reduced the damaged area compared to the unstitched panel (30.6 cm²). The most effective was Dyneema SK75 fiber, ensuring the smallest total delamination area of 26.2 cm² (a 14.4% reduction) and the lowest proportion of damage relative to the panel surface area (17.5%). It is remarkable that Dyneema SK75 achieved this superior impact resistance with the lowest added mass (61.6 g) among all other materials being considered. In contrast, the fibers like E-Glass and S-Glass, while still improving impact performance, resulted in a much higher mass penalty (166.3 g and 157.4 g, respectively). Graphs analysis of the contact force, the force vs. displacement dependence and impactor kinetic energy demonstrated that the Dyneema SK75 stitching ensured effective reinforcement without significant changing of the panel general dynamics response.
It is worth mentioning in conclusion that this study confirms the orthogonal stitching effectiveness as a method for the impact damage resistance enhancing of the composite structures. The validated numerical model is a powerful tool for parametric analysis and material selection. Comparative analysis convincingly demonstrates that selection of the stitch fiber material is critical, with the high-performance Dyneema SK75 polyethylene fiber offering optimal combination of minimal delamination area and low weight penalty for the curved panel studied configuration. The findings confirm potential of this technology for both durability and structural efficiency improving of composite components in the aerospace applications.

Keywords:

polymer composite materials, orthogonal stitching (through reinforcement), low-speed impact loading, impact resistance of composite structures, delamination and interlayer strength, numerical modeling in LS-DYNA, finite element analysis of damage, full-scale experiment and validation, types of reinforcing fibers (carbon, glass, polyethylene, liquid crystal), comparative analysis of stitching efficiency, aircraft composite panels

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