Numerical study on the impact response of aircraft fuselage structures subjected to large-size tire fragment

By applying finite element software ANSYS/LS-DYNA, finite element models of front bulkhead and main cabin are established, which aims to assess the dynamic response of fuselage structures impacted by tire fragment under bursting mode. Besides, dynamic characteristics of the two fuselage structures impacted by tire fragment are simulated and critical damage velocities of each working condition are obtained. The results show that composite front bulkhead cannot bear the impact load of front tire fragment at the velocity of 100 m/s, but aluminum alloy front bulkhead can. Main cabin with two properties both can bear the impact loads of front and main tire fragments. When impacted by front tire fragment, critical damage velocity of front bulkhead is approximately half of that of main cabin, while critical damage velocity of aluminum alloy fuselage is larger than that of composite fuselage. However, when impacted by main tire fragment, critical damage velocity of aluminum alloy main cabin is less than that of composite main cabin. Furthermore, maximum contact pressure of composite fuselage is 3–3.3 times than that of aluminum alloy fuselage. The difference in concave deformation is not significant when impacted by front tire fragment, but the difference is great when impacted by main tire fragment.