The effects of fiber orientation and section geometry on the capacity of carbon/epoxy composite absorbers

In this paper, a numerical study on the collapse and energy absorption of carbon/epoxy composite absorbers with different geometrical cross sections, including circle, square and octagonal in the fiber orientations of zero, 30, 45, 60 and 90 degrees is conducted using Abaqus software. In order to validate and ensure the accuracy of the simulation, the results of these simulations are compared with the experimental results of previous researchers. The results reveal that the non-zero degree orientation of the fibers causes twisting, changes in the stress distribution and loss of geometric stability. Also, the results show that the circular section has the highest energy absorption capacity among the introduced sections. The results show that the fiber orientation is directly effective in the collapse of composite shells. The behavior of the absorber in the zero degree orientation of fibers is similar to the behavior of ductile materials (along with crushing and wrinkling). In the 90 degree orientation of fibers, the fibers are aligned with the axis of the composite shell and the collapse becomes more similar to the behavior of brittle materials (crushing and fracture).