Research on the Blow-Off Impulse Effect of a Composite Reinforced Panel Subjected to Lightning Strike

Abstract

The blow-off impulse effect of a composite reinforced panel subjected to lightning strike is studied combing electric-thermal coupling with explicit dynamic methods. A finite element model of a composite reinforced panel is established under the action of 2.6/10.5 µs impulse current waveform with current peak 60 kA. Blow-off impulse elements are selected according to numerical results of electric-thermal coupling analysis. Elements failure, pressure, and von Mises stress distribution are discussed when blow-off impulse analysis is completed. The results show that the blow-off impulse effect can alter the damage forms of a composite reinforced panel and causes the damage distribution to deviate from the initial fiber direction in each layer. Elements failure modes around the blow-off impulse area are similar to that around the attachment area of the lightning strike. The blow-off impulse effect can well model the internal damage, concave pit, and bulge phenomenon around the attachment area. Additionally, pressure contours are not presented as an anisotropic characteristic but an isotropic characteristic under the blow-off impulse effect, which indicates that the mechanical behavior of composite materials presents as an anisotropic characteristic in low pressure while as an isotropic characteristic in high pressure. This method is suitable to evaluate shock damage of a composite reinforced panel induced by lightning strike.

Keywords

• lightning strike
• composite reinforced panel
• blow-off impulse
• electric-thermal coupling