Coupled SPH-composite cohesive damage modeling methodology for analysis of solid-fluid interaction

In this paper, a methodology for coupling a solid-fluid interactive system, representative of a bird impact, with a composite cohesive damage approach, capable of determining the inter-laminar degradation or failure in aerospace composite structures, is presented. The Smooth Particle Hydrodynamic approach, due to its enhanced numerical stability and analysis efficiency, was used to capture the highly complex and non-linear behavior of the bird on impact. Several types of representative primary and secondary advanced aerospace composite structures were subjected to bird-strike at various impact velocities and incidences. The intricacy of the composite damage was successfully simulated by the coupled cohesive model that enabled the determination of delaminated areas as well as the fiber, matrix and total structural damage. This methodology is proposed to facilitate the processes of design and certification for future full, or partial, composite aerospace structures.