Experimental and numerical comparisons of low-speed impact and punching of woven Aramid panels

Vessels used to transport radioactive materials must be protected against low-speed puncture-type loadings. One promising puncture protection scheme involves the use of puncture panels incorporating woven Aramid fabric. An experimental and numerical investigation on the response of punch-loaded, woven Aramid fabric protection panels, was undertaken. Initially, individual yarn tests at quasi-static and low-speed dynamic strain rates were performed for material property determination, followed by quasi-static and low-speed dynamic punch tests on clamped, woven Aramid panels (single- and multiple-layer). Comparisons of experimental results with both refined and simplified calculational models showed reasonable agreement for force-deflection history of the punch fabric. The simplified finite element model was found to be useful in economically analyzing multiple woven fabric layers subjected to concentrated loading