Hiroaki Nakamoto

ENERGY ABSORPTION OF HONEYCOMB RANDOMLY FILLED WITH INCLUSIONS SUBJECTED TO IN-PLANE IMPACT

The in-plane impact behaviors of honeycomb structures with some cells randomly filled with stiff inclusions were analyzed by using the finite element method (FEM). The effect of the random arrangement of inclusions on the deformation processes of the honeycomb structures was considered. During these deformation processes, the growth of shear bands was disturbed by the inclusions and the cell region surrounded by inclusions did not deform. The average stress increased and densification strain decreased with increasing volume fraction of inclusions. A honeycomb with volume fraction of inclusions of 0.5 could not be deformed. Below 0.5, the average stress steeply increased and densification strain approached zero. Some models for less than a volume fraction of inclusions of 0.25 had higher absorbed energy than the model with no inclusions and others had lower energy. Above 0.25, the absorbed energy decreased and linearly reached zero at a volume fraction of inclusions of 0.5.