Modelling of low-velocity impact and compression after impact of CFRP at elevated temperatures

In this study, temperature-dependent material properties are implemented into a continuum-damage-based (CDM) model to describe the progressive failure of CFRP under temperature influence. Low-velocity impact (LVI) simulations showed that the material model could accurately represent the damage resulting from LVI at different temperatures and impact energies. The simulations show that an increase of the interlaminar ERR does not cause the reduction in delamination size, but the change in intralaminar damage and overall structural response. Compression after impact (CAI) simulations are in good agreement with experimental data. The results emphasise that an increased temperature during compression has a more decisive influence on residual strength than the impact of energy. The proposed approach and CDM model can predict the material behaviour of CFRP under temperature influence and complex load cases.