THE ELASTIC RESPONSE OF ORTHOTROPIC LAMINATED CYLINDRICAL-SHELLS TO LOW-VELOCITY IMPACT

This paper presents an analysis of laminated open cylindrical shells subjected to impact loading. A spring-mass model is developed to determine the contact force between the shell and impactor during impact. Based on this model, an analytic function describing the contact force is derived in terms of the material properties and mass of the shell and impactor, as well as the impact velocity. An analytic solution to predict the response of laminated shells subjected to impact is presented. This solution includes both contact deformation and transverse shear deformation. The present analysis is used to predict the response of laminated shells to impact loading and to study the effects of different impact conditions and shell size and curvature on the contact force and central deflection of the shell. The analysis is verified by comparing the present results with those reported by others.