Effect of plate curvature on blast response of aluminum panels

Experimental and numerical studies were conducted to understand the effect of plate curvature on blast response of aluminum panels. A shock tube apparatus was utilized to impart controlled shock loading to aluminum 2024-T3 panels having three different radii of curvatures: infinity (panel A), 304.8 mm (panel B), and 111.8 mm (panel C). Panels with dimensions of 203.2 mm × 203.2 mm × 2 mm were held with mixed boundary conditions before applying the shock loading. A 3D Digital Image Correlation (DIC) technique coupled with high speed photography was used to obtain out-of-plane deflection and velocity, as well as in-plane strain on the back face of the panels. Macroscopic postmortem analysis was performed to compare the yielding and plastic deformation in the three panels. The results showed that panel C had the least plastic deformation and yielding as compared to the other panels. A dynamic computational simulation that incorporates the fluid-structure interaction was also conducted to evaluate the panel response. The computational study utilized the Dynamic System Mechanics Analysis Simulation (DYSMAS) software. The model consisted of the shock tube wall, the aluminum plate, and the air (both internal and external) to the tube walls. The numerical results were compared to the experimental data. The comparison between the experimental results and the numerical simulation showed a high level of correlation using the Russell error measure.

► Aluminum panels were shock loaded using a shock tube.
► 3D-DIC analysis is used to obtain the out-of-plane deflection and in-plane strain.
► Numerical simulation results from DYSMAS were compared to experimental results.
► As the radii of curvature decreases the plastic deformation decreases.
► The Russell error analysis showed an acceptable correlation between the results.