Deformable body impact: dynamic plastic behaviour of a moving free-free beam striking the tip of a cantilever beam

A theoretical model based on the rigid, perfectly plastic material idealiza tion is proposed to simulate the dynamic behaviour of two deformable beams colliding with each other. The mid-point of a moving free-free beam is assu med to impinge on the tip of a cantilever beam with the beam axes perpendic ular to each other. Complete solutions are obtained for various deformation mechanisms during the dynamic response process for the two deformed beams, and plastic shear sliding is taken into account. Attention is focused on t he partitioning of the input energy between the two deformed beams after im pact. A deformation map in a governing parameter plane is constructed to pe rmit the calculation of the energy partitioning for a range of the beams' p arameters. This consists of nine regions corresponding to various deformati on mechanisms. Typical numerical results are presented to demonstrate the i nfluence of structural and geometrical parameters such as the ratios of the fully plastic bending moments of the two beams, of their fully plastic she ar forces, of their masses per unit length and their length, on the energy partitioning after impact. Finally, the severance limit is given for the ca se of both beams having rectangular cross-sections. This indicates that she ar sliding failure may happen in either of the beams if the initial kinetic energy is sufficiently large. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. Ail rights re served.