Experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of wall perforation geometry on absorption of axial impact energy in thin-walled metal tubes

Abstract

In this article, the experimental and numerical analysis of the effect of the geometry of the wall holes on the energy absorption of thin-walled tubes is discussed. Energy is applied by axial impact. Thin wall tubes, with and without side holes in the wall, are used to absorb the axial impact energy caused by a dropping weight. These tubes absorb the energy caused by the impact by asymmetric plastic buckling. If the force of the impacting object is greater than the minimum average buckling force, the tube will be dented and its length will decrease. The amount of tubes depression depends on the energy input to it, the geometric characteristics and the material of the tubes. In this paper, it is shown that by perforating the thin-walled tubes in different shapes, in order to absorb the same impact energy, the shortening length of the tubes increases. By increasing the shortening length of the tubes, the amount of initial force is reduced, and in other words, it is possible to control the force and reduce damage. There is a good agreement between experimental and simulation results.