Simulating laminated composites using LS - DYNA material model

A wide range of composite material forms are finding use in today’s aerospace, automotive, and other transportation industry segments. The Boeing 787 commercial airliner, unveiled in 2007, features over 50% carbon fiber composites by structural weight, while the entire structure of the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento supercar, unveiled in 2011, is made exclusively from carbon fiber composites [1-2]. An attractive benefit of using composite materials is the ability of composite crush structures to dissipate large amounts of energy which has been shown to exceed that of their metallic counterparts [3]. If properly engineered, implementing composite crash subcomponents in aircraft and cars, such as collapsible floor stanchions and frontal crush beams, can substantially increase crashworthiness and vehicle safety. Such composite crash components are featured in both the Boeing 787 and the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento.