Experimental investigation on the crushing behaviour of aluminium-reinforced honeycomb structures

The research work mainly deals with the mechanical behaviour and performance characteristics of conventional and aluminium-reinforced honeycomb structures under different parameters and loading conditions. Honeycombs with varying cell sizes, node lengths, and cell-wall thicknesses were fabricated and tested to observe their interaction with quasi-static, impact, and blast loads. The deformation mode under in-plane and out-of-plane quasi-static loads provided an idea about the structural soundness and adaptability of reinforced honeycombs under static conditions. Low-velocity impacts were performed to investigate the energy absorption and impact resistance of reinforced honeycomb structures, which are very suitable for aerospace and transportation sectors where impact mitigation is highly required. Comparisons between conventional honeycomb cores and the reinforced counterparts were made, with a focus on parameters such as weight, stiffness, and strength to help engineers in the optimization of designs for particular applications. Crashworthiness studies showed how cell size, node length, and cell-wall thickness influence energy absorption in impacts and provided a basis for the fulfillment of strict crash-resistance standards. Further understanding of the behaviour of these structures in dynamic scenarios was advanced by FEM simulations of blast loads, thus enabling the development of blast-resistant designs. The aluminium-reinforced honeycombs possessed an ultimate strength of 145.28 MPa, a yield strength of 98.15 MPa, and a modulus of elasticity of 69 GPa. Under low-velocity impact, the peak force of a reinforced honeycomb with cell size 10 mm and wall thickness 0.1 mm was 1456.8 N, which agreed very well with numerical prediction with an error of less than 5%. Blast tests showed that reinforced honeycomb cores reduced back-face sheet deformation by up to 37% compared to conventional honeycombs for a variety of explosive masses, with improved blast resistance and energy absorption. The results add much value to the design and optimization of honeycomb structures for various engineering applications and also form a basis for future research on wider manufacturing parameters, dynamic loading conditions, and environmental effects.