Experimental investigation on axial quasi-static compression and low-velocity impact behaviors of perforated thermoplastic composite cylindrical shells

Perforation in cylindrical shells is commonly a typical technique to fulfill relevant functional requirements. However, how the perforation influence the mechanical performance of thermoplastic composite cylindrical shells (TPCCS) is incompletely understood. Hence, a systematic investigation through quasi-static compression and low-velocity impact (LVI) experiments was carried out in this paper. The full-field strain distributions of TPCCS intact tubes (IT) and perforated tubes (PT) were monitored by using 3D-DIC, and the residual properties were also characterized by compression-after-impact (CAI) tests. The results show that under quasi-static compression, the structural stiffness decreases significantly with increasing perforation diameter. The perforation reduces the interference of internal random defects on the structural deformation mode, which leads to a significant strain concentration in PT. The peak force and initial stiffness under LVI are smaller than those under quasi-static compression, with IT displaying higher sensitivity to dynamic loading compared to PT. At the impact energy of 100 J, IT and PT exhibit “S”- and “X”-shaped deformation modes, respectively. CAI tests indicate that although PT has a poorer residual load-carrying capacity than IT, it retains good structural integrity and secondary energy absorption capacity. This study provides a valuable reference for the assessment and application of perforated TPCCS.