Experimental and numerical analysis of impact on steel curved panels

The low velocity impact behavior of steel panel with different curvature is investigated experimentally. Numerical analysis is used for test results verification. In experimental method drop impact test apparatus is used so three different height for falling weight is considered. Also three different panel curvatures for experiment are used. Two important parameters measured are maximum acceleration and maximum plastic deformation of panel. A high speed accelerometer is used for measuring the impactor acceleration. Also the permanent plastic deformation is measured with numerical measurement system attached to the drop test apparatus.Experimental analysis with three different radius of curvature is modeled with numerical analysis, the numerical analysis is used for further panel curvatures so the panel behavior is estimated in a wide range of panel curvatures. The results in numerical analysis and test (if available) show good agreement when compared together. the results show that increasing the panel radius of curvature will increase impactor acceleration and will decrease the plastic deformation of panel, but if the radius of curvature is increased more and more, then the impactor acceleration will not increase further and will be nearly constant, on the other hand plastic deformation of the panel will not be increased further, when the panel radius of curvature is increased more.