Low- and high-fidelity modeling of sandwich-structured composite response to bird strike, as tools for a digital-twin-assisted damage diagnosis

The constant requirement of aerospace industry to enhance the structural efficiency has driven usage high-performance composite materials, either monolithic or sandwich. However, structures are prone damage due high-velocity impact events such as bird strike, hail impact, etc. These can result in extensive including structure perforation, which will eventually degrade its post-impact residual strength. Therefore, early detection is imperative avoid catastrophic failure. This paper develops computational models predict dynamic behavior a helicopter sandwich undergoing strike. aimed be used virtual tools for future digital-twin-assisted fault technique. Firstly, high-fidelity (HF) FE/SPH model was developed LS-DYNA, and it validated against soft body experiments. Afterwards, computationally efficient low-fidelity (LF) correlated with model. It concluded that sufficiently accurately strain history experimentally recorded by FBG sensors, size predicted delamination area at front face agrees very well observed area. also shown LF rapidly global response panel under loading, through good agreement between numerical histories measurements. Consequently, quick guide identification loading condition, whereas HF detector estimator extension before scheduled inspection.