DYNAMIC MODELING FOR DESIGNING TRANSPORTATION PACKAGING COMPONENTS

Soft impact limiters, such as polyurethane foams and aluminum honeycom bs, were studied to assist the Sandia National Laboratories' Transport ation Base Technology Program. The aim of this research was to study t he mechanical behavior of these materials, which are being used as imp act absorbers in nuclear waste transportation containers. A series of tests was performed along various loading paths. Different densities o f polyurethane foams. aluminum honeycombs, and corrugated aluminum hon eycombs were tested in different orientations. Static tests included u niaxial tension, uniaxial compression, triaxial compression, hydrostat ic compression, and fracture toughness testing. The purpose of using d ifferent loading paths was to generate extensive test data, which is b eing used to develop constitutive models for these materials. Dynamic tests were conducted at strain rates of 100/s., to generate experiment al data relevant to accident situations. Results of these tests were s ubsequently used to conduct scale-model tests of transportation casks of different industrial designers. Continuum damage constitutive model s was used to predict material response. The primary focus was to capt ure the effect of progressive cell collapse and to be able to eventual ly predict the orientation and propagation of such a localized feature under a multi-axial state of stress.