A new and lean finite element model to predict the out of plane crash behaviour of aluminium honeycomb structures

Aluminium honeycombs are well-known anisotropic structures which are commonly used as energy absorber units. In the past decades, several researchers have focused on developing finite element models credible enough to predict the crash behaviour of honeycomb structures. A number of modelling methodologies have been developed and validated to closely represent the structural behaviour under various boundary conditions. Due to the limitations with modelling the structure accurately as well as the adhesive failure and trapped air, presents a serious challenge to predict the crushing behaviour of honeycomb structures. This paper introduces multiple simplified FE models and the results from simulations are compared with experimental data to evaluate the most effective model. The results have also been compared with our existing article which used LSDYNA for numerical analysis. The techniques proposed in this paper show good correlation with the mentioned experimental data and the LSDYNA model. Thus, the simplified FE models are regarded as validated and credible enough to predict out-of-plane crash behaviour of aluminium honeycomb. Altair's HyperMesh and HyperCrash were used to create the FE models and the dynamic explicit code RADIOSS to solve the models.