The transverse impact responses of 3-D braided composite I-beam

This paper reports the transverse impact responses of 3-D braided composite I-beam from experiment and finite element analysis (FEA). The transverse impact tests were conducted on a modified split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). Three different impact gas pressures were set to research the effect of the impact velocity on the transverse impact behaviors of the I-beams. A microstructure geometric model was established to model the real structure of 3-D braided composite I-beam. The mechanical responses including load-time history, displacement-time history and energy absorption were obtained. Damage process and stress distribution were analyzed from the FEA result. From the result, the complex braided structure remarkably affected the stress state of different braiding yarns. Finally, the fracture morphologies obtained from FEA and experimental results showed a good agreement which validated the established model.