CALCULATION OF FORCES AND BENDING STRESSES IN CENTRALLY STRUCK CIRCULAR PLATES

A method is described for solving the Volterra integral equation of th e 2nd kind, which models normal impact between a falling hemispherical ly surfaced impactor and a thin circular plate. The model includes the vibration induced in the plate as the result of forcing by a time-dep endent Hertzian pressure distribution. Calculations are performed whic h model experimental impacts of various polycrystalline graphite discs , in which the impactor velocity was chosen so that each disc just fai led after a single impact. The maximum impact induced bending stresses calculated were compared with the experimentally determined three poi nt bend strengths of each graphite material.