Investigations on crush behavior and energy absorption characteristics of GFRP composite conical frusta with a cutout under axial compression loading

Abstract

The changes in energy-absorption and deformation characteristics of thin-walled E-glass fiber reinforced composite conical frusta upon introduction cutouts were studied through quasi-static axial compression loading. The 15^°, 18^° and 21^° semi-apical angled conical frusta with a circular, square, and elliptical cutout were axially compressed, and its crush-force-efficiency, energy-absorption, and specific-energy-absorption (SEA) characteristics were analyzed. Further, the ABAQUS® finite element software was used to simulate the crush behavior of perfect and imperfect conical frusta, and the corresponding results were compared with the experimental results, and the results are reported in this article.

Keywords:

• Crashworthiness
• buckling
• thin-walled structures
• conical frusta
• cutout
• FEA

Acknowledgements

The author acknowledges the support of the management, head of the institution, National Engineering College, KR Nagar, Kovilpatti, Tamilnadu, India, for completing this research work.

Data availability

The author declares that the required data for this study are included in this article, and the significance of the same was elaborately explained for better understanding of the reader.