Analysis of factors influencing absorbed energy in CFRP and Kevlar hybrid laminate subjected to low-velocity impact

ABSTRACT

Fibre Reinforced Polymer (FRP) laminates absorb energy under elastic deformation. The matrix’s brittleness, causes the resilience to decrease, which causes delamination, matrix cracking, perforation, fibre breakage, and other problems. The amount of energy that the specimen absorbed during the entire impact test is the total absorbed energy which is influenced by impactor diameter, impactor velocity and fibre orientation. An attempt is made in this paper to investigate the effect of laminate thickness and the velocity at which the CFRP and Kevlar hybrid laminate is impacted. An explicit numerical analysis of low velocity impact damage behaviour of Hybrid and CFRP composite laminates has been performed for three different thickness by impacting the laminates at various velocities. An orthogonal array (L4) is prepared using two process variables and with three levels. A central composite design was used to obtain the response surface model. The developed mathematical model predicted the total absorbed energy of CFRP and Kevlar laminates subjected to low velocity impact. The results indicate that the change in thickness had no significant impact on the energy absorption while the variation in the impactor velocity had notable influence on the energy absorption of the laminate.

KEYWORDS:

• Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)
• Kevlar
• Low Velocity Impact (LVI)
• absorbed energy
• Analysis of Variance (ANOVA)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ritesh K Dundi

Ritesh K Dundi is currently pursuing B.Tech in mechanical engineering at PES University, Bengaluru. He completed his pre-university Surana Deeksha, Bengaluru. His areas of interests include Computer Aided Design, composite material, finite element analysis and strength of materials.

Pratheek Nagesh Amin

Pratheek Nagesh Amin is currently pursuing B.Tech in mechanical engineering at PES University, Bengaluru. He completed his pre-university education at Little Rock Indian School, Udupi. His areas of interests include composite material, manufacturing technology, finite element analysis, thermodynamics and strength of materials.

N. Rajesh Mathivanan

Dr Rajesh Mathivanan N is currently chairman of department of mechanical engineering at PES University, Bengaluru. He completed Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from PES Institute of Technology, Bangalore University and Masters Degree from BMS College of Engineering, Bangalore, Visveswaraya Technological University. He received his Ph.D. degree from National Institute of Technology (NIT), Tiruchirappalli during 2011 in the area of impact characteristics of composite laminates. He started his career as Graduate Engineer Trainee at Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML). He joined PESIT as lecturer during 2000 and presently holding a position as Professor and Chairperson in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, PES University. He is the Domain Head of Advanced Composite Research Centre (ACRC) at PES University. He also had held the position of Dean Academics for a period of one year at Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida, UP. He is the faculty advisor of Team HAYA, the racing car team of PES and he is also the faculty integrator of PACE activities.