A novel simplified ballistic impact theory for woven composites

Composite behaviour under ballistic impact is a challenging engineering problem due to its nonlinear nature, besides the ballistic impact itself is a dynamic and complex phenomenon. This study presents a novel analytical formulation for the speed reduction of impacts of bullet-type projectiles based on in-plane tensile failure energy absorption, including a new approach representing the energy absorption due to friction. Since for low-velocity impacts, energy absorption mechanisms are drastically different from high-velocity impacts, limitation algorithms are developed to accommodate for low-velocity impact cases. The developed formulations are applied to real and virtual ballistic impact test cases to predict the residual velocities. A satisfying correlation between results is observed.