A study on type II structures. Part II: dynamic behavior of a chain of pre-bent plates

From the energy-absorption point of view, in general a cellular material may be composed of a number of type I and type II cells. A comprehensive study of the mechanisms, by which these two types of cells undergo large deformation under impact loading, will help to deepen our understanding of the dynamic behavior of cellular materials. In this paper, special attention is paid to the dynamic response of a chain of type II cells under a projectile impact. Both the FE analysis and the equivalent mass-spring model proposed in part I of the paper are employed, and the results agree well with each other while the mass-spring model is much more efficient than the FE simulation. Three collapse modes of type II chain are identified, depending on the initial impact velocity. Furthermore, based on the equivalent mass-spring model, the local contact behavior between the striker and the first cell of the type II chain, and the effects of the associated parameters (e.g., the effects of cell number, cell wall inertia, mass ratio, input energy, etc.) are discussed in detail. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.