Benchmarks for Composite Delamination Using LS-DYNA 971

The increasing interest in the implementation of fiber reinforced materials for primary and secondary structures requires a closer look into the performance of these materials under a wide range of structural loads. This paper deals with the application of the commercial solver LS-DYNA to specific modelling procedures and experiments in graphite/epoxy - composite structures with a representation of interlaminar and intralaminar delamination failure. A set of modelling techniques were discussed based on available material and contact definitions in the current version of the explicit solver. Using different approaches, the predicted and experimental results as well as the time history responses in low velocity impact benchmark-models is briefly addressed. Providing an overview of the achieved efficiency with the presented models is part of the effort of improving the realistic simulation of “mesoscale” models of larger composite structures with acceptable computational costs.