Crashworthiness Characteristics and Failure Mode of Composite Tubes

Abstract

The woven plain weave/epoxy hexagonal tubes’ capacity for energy absorption is investigated in present work. The experimental work was performed on composite hexagons with different hexagonal angles between 35° and 55° in aspect ratios L/t = 70 and 10° angular increments. Observation was made on how the configuration impacts the crash-worthiness behavior of the reinforced hexagonal tubes. Moreover, the impact on absorbed energy was also investigated. The highest energy absorption capability and average crashing load was demonstrated by the woven plain weave/epoxy hexagonal tube with β = 45°. Failure of the woven plain weave/epoxy hexagonal tube was found to be in progressive mode. Furthermore, apart from the influence of geometry, the energy absorption capabilities of the hexagonal tubes were also affected by the type of material.