Experimental investigation of the collapse modes and energy absorption characteristics of composite tubes

摘要

This paper describes the results of an experimental investigation of tubes made of different composite materials. They are structural components used in the aerospace and automotive industries, which are able to absorb large amounts of impact energy while collapsing progressively in a controlled manner. Because of the complex fracture mechanisms, several different collapse modes are obtained. From the tests, it is observed that the specific absorbed energy for tubes made of carbon fibres can reach 75 kJ/kg, compared to about 40 kJ/kg for tubes made of aluminium alloy. Also, the tubes made of glass fibres can be used as lightweight materials in crash-relevant structural areas as they present an energy absorption 12% higher than tubes made of aluminium alloy. The solution of hybrid composite structures in carbon and glass fibres is highly promising.