Response of composite and steel V-structures to localised air blast loading-numerical and experimental
| dc.contributor.advisor | Von Klemperer, Christopher | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Langdon, Genevieve | |
| dc.contributor.author | Shekhar, Vinay Ramaswami | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-04-30T06:46:31Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-04-30T06:46:31Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2026-04-29T11:04:11Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | This research investigated the blast performance of Glass-Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Vstructures compared to equivalent mass steel V-structures. The blast performance was measured in terms of three metrics, namely, impulse transferred, maximum mid-point deflection and permanent damage/deformation. A series of blast experiments were performed on manufactured GFRP and steel V-structures. The GFRP V-structures were made using Vacuum Infusion (VI), using a 400 g m−2 woven E-glass and a Prime 20LV resin with a Low Viscosity (LV) slow hardener. The steel V-structures were manufactured by laser cutting the flat panel profiles from a sheet of 2 mm thick DOMEX-700 MC sheet and then Computer Numerical Control (CNC) bending them to the desired profile. Three panel configurations were experimentally blast tested, namely, a 105° V-angle with a 32 mm V-tip radius, a 105° V-angle with a 62 mm V-tip radius and a 120° V-angle with a 32 mm V-tip radius. Blast tests were performed by detonating PE4 charges ranging from 10 g to 40 g at a Stand-Off Distance (SOD) of 34 mm. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was used to track the transient deformation of the V-structures, while the final deformed profile of the V-structures was determined using a 3D scanner. A series of numerical simulations were also performed on the GFRP and steel V-structures. The simulations used quarter symmetry models to utilise the symmetry of the experimental setup. The material model parameters were obtained from a series of material tests carried out on GFRP and steel specimens. The simulations were validated against the experimental results for a number of test cases for impulse transfer, and transient and permanent deformation. The simulations were then extended to look at a range of V-tip radii, V-angles and charge masses, while the SOD was held constant. For the steel V-structures, the blast experiments found that increasing the V-tip radius and Vangle resulted in an increase in impulse transferred as well as transient and permanent mid-point deflection. This result was confirmed when the set of V-tip radii investigated was increased in the simulations. The trends in the results for the GFRP V-structures were similar to the equivalent steel plates. The delamination and total crack length were observed to increase with an increase in V-angle and charge mass. In general, the study found that GFRP V-structures were inferior to their equivalent mass steel V-structures in terms of panel rupture threshold. The GFRP V-structures exhibited lower transient deformation, but panel rupture on the rear face was observed at a lower charge mass. No tearing or rupture was observed in the steel V-structures tested at similar charge masses. | |
| dc.identifier.apacitation | Shekhar, V. R. (2023). <i>Response of composite and steel V-structures to localised air blast loading-numerical and experimental</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43152 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.chicagocitation | Shekhar, Vinay Ramaswami. <i>"Response of composite and steel V-structures to localised air blast loading-numerical and experimental."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering, 2023. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43152 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.citation | Shekhar, V.R. 2023. Response of composite and steel V-structures to localised air blast loading-numerical and experimental. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43152 | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.ris | TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Shekhar, Vinay Ramaswami AB - This research investigated the blast performance of Glass-Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Vstructures compared to equivalent mass steel V-structures. The blast performance was measured in terms of three metrics, namely, impulse transferred, maximum mid-point deflection and permanent damage/deformation. A series of blast experiments were performed on manufactured GFRP and steel V-structures. The GFRP V-structures were made using Vacuum Infusion (VI), using a 400 g m−2 woven E-glass and a Prime 20LV resin with a Low Viscosity (LV) slow hardener. The steel V-structures were manufactured by laser cutting the flat panel profiles from a sheet of 2 mm thick DOMEX-700 MC sheet and then Computer Numerical Control (CNC) bending them to the desired profile. Three panel configurations were experimentally blast tested, namely, a 105° V-angle with a 32 mm V-tip radius, a 105° V-angle with a 62 mm V-tip radius and a 120° V-angle with a 32 mm V-tip radius. Blast tests were performed by detonating PE4 charges ranging from 10 g to 40 g at a Stand-Off Distance (SOD) of 34 mm. Digital Image Correlation (DIC) was used to track the transient deformation of the V-structures, while the final deformed profile of the V-structures was determined using a 3D scanner. A series of numerical simulations were also performed on the GFRP and steel V-structures. The simulations used quarter symmetry models to utilise the symmetry of the experimental setup. The material model parameters were obtained from a series of material tests carried out on GFRP and steel specimens. The simulations were validated against the experimental results for a number of test cases for impulse transfer, and transient and permanent deformation. The simulations were then extended to look at a range of V-tip radii, V-angles and charge masses, while the SOD was held constant. For the steel V-structures, the blast experiments found that increasing the V-tip radius and Vangle resulted in an increase in impulse transferred as well as transient and permanent mid-point deflection. This result was confirmed when the set of V-tip radii investigated was increased in the simulations. The trends in the results for the GFRP V-structures were similar to the equivalent steel plates. The delamination and total crack length were observed to increase with an increase in V-angle and charge mass. In general, the study found that GFRP V-structures were inferior to their equivalent mass steel V-structures in terms of panel rupture threshold. The GFRP V-structures exhibited lower transient deformation, but panel rupture on the rear face was observed at a lower charge mass. No tearing or rupture was observed in the steel V-structures tested at similar charge masses. DA - 2023 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Computer Numerical Control KW - Stand-Off Distance KW - Digital Image Correlation LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2023 T1 - Response of composite and steel V-structures to localised air blast loading-numerical and experimental TI - Response of composite and steel V-structures to localised air blast loading-numerical and experimental UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43152 ER - | en_ZA |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43152 | |
| dc.identifier.vancouvercitation | Shekhar VR. Response of composite and steel V-structures to localised air blast loading-numerical and experimental. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment ,Department of Chemical Engineering, 2023 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/43152 | en_ZA |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.language.rfc3066 | eng | |
| dc.publisher.department | Department of Chemical Engineering | |
| dc.publisher.faculty | Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment | |
| dc.publisher.institution | University of Cape Town | |
| dc.subject | Computer Numerical Control | |
| dc.subject | Stand-Off Distance | |
| dc.subject | Digital Image Correlation | |
| dc.title | Response of composite and steel V-structures to localised air blast loading-numerical and experimental | |
| dc.type | Thesis / Dissertation | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters | |
| dc.type.qualificationlevel | Masters |