EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF LOW VELOCITY IMPACT NEAR THE BVID LIMIT ON CARBON FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER PANELS
As carbon fiber reinforced polymer matrix panels (CFRP) are increasingly being used in aircraft due to their advantages in strength and weight, it is necessary to understand their durability. In this study, a detailed analysis of critical events during low velocity impact (LVI) will be presented as well as initial compression after impact (CAI) results. Two CFRP layups of 16 and 24 plies are impacted with varying impact energies below and near the barely visible impact damage (BVID) limit. The panels are subsequently compressed in the transverse direction in order to quantify the strength knockdown from pristine panels to damaged ones. The sequence of failure initiation, delamination initiation, and subsequent delamination pattern was identified. The sequence is critical to predictive modeling of failure and failure progression of CFRP composites.