Energy Response of Idealized Composite Sandwich Panels under Blast Loads

This paper presents the development and application of a simplified analytical model to analyze the energy response of an idealized composite sandwich panel under blast loads. The model is used to gain insight into optimizing the energy absorption capabilities, and thus blast resistance, of the core of these structures. The analytical predictions calculate spatial and time variations in blast pressure as a result of charge size and location as well as the corresponding structural response based on velocity transfer among the sandwich panel components and discretization of the sandwich panel into a system of single degree of freedom mass-spring systems. The energy absorption mechanisms considered include absorbed strain energy as a result of inelastic deformation of the core and energy dissipation through progressive failure of the core, where the failure criterion is the failure strain where the composite material loses strength. The results demonstrate that energy absorption is maximized when failure of the core is prevented. The accuracy of the program as a result of the simplifying assumptions made in the derivation of the analytical approach is also reviewed.