Mechanical behavior of composite structures subjected to constant slamming impact velocity: an experimental and numerical investigation

International audienceThe interaction between deformable structures and free water surfaces can modify the fluid flow and change the estimated hydrodynamic loads in relation to rigid bodies, due to the appearance of hydroelastic effects. The flexibility and damage failure modes in composite materials introduce additional complexity for predicting hydrodynamic loads when interactive with water. This is considered to be a key challenge when using these materials in marine applications. Therefore, particular attention should be paid to this fact in the design phase and over their period of use. The aim of this work is to study the structural behavior and the effect of the flexibility of composite panels on hydrodynamic loads and the dynamic deformation response experimentally and numerically. To study these effects, composite panels with two different rigidities were subjected to various impact velocities and investigated. It should be noted that all the panels tested at a10° deadrise angle. A high velocity shock machine was used to maintain constant velocity during water entry at impact velocities of 4 m/s, 6 m/s, 8 m/s and 10 m/s. The general analysis of experimental results indicated that compared to the higher stiffness panels, the more flexible panel has a higher peak force as velocity increases. This has been attributed to the change in local velocity and local deadrise angle along the water-panel interface. The numerical model was implemented based on the Coupled Eulerian–Lagrangian Model (CEL) built-in Abaqus/Explicit finite element software. The numerical results showed a good agreement compared with experimental data for both the hydrodynamic force and the deformation response. These quantitative structural-loading data can provide a clear guide for maritime ship design