Experimental and numerical investigation on the shock characteristics of U-notched ZL205A specimens under dynamic mixed-mode loading

Shock environment assessment and improvement during stage separation is an important issue of concern in aerospace engineering. This paper focuses on shock response caused by dynamic fracture of aluminum alloy separation plate, which usually undergoes mixed mode loading during separation. Based on Split Hopkinson Tensile Bar (SHTB) apparatus, five groups of U-notched ZL205A specimens with different loading angles (0 degrees, 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees) are designed to simulate mixed mode loading for shock characteristics testing. There piezoelectric accelerometers are used to measure the acceleration time histories, and the maximum shock response spectrum (SRS) is applied for shock data analysis. Meanwhile, the ANSYS/LS-DYNA finite element software is implemented for numerical analysis. The actual fracture angles measured from the recovered specimens are used to describe the actual fracture modes. The numerical and experimental results are in good agreement, showing that the shock response along the specimen's length and thickness directions increases with the fracture angle, while there is a slight distinction in the specimen's width direction with different fracture angles. On average, the shock response is more remarkable in pure tensile fracture mode, which is 2.6 times the pure shear fracture mode. As a result, increasing the study of shear fracture component is meaningful for the shock reduction through the structural design of separation plate.