Low-velocity impact and minimum mass design of physically asymmetric sandwich beams with metal foam core

Low-velocity impact of physically asymmetric sandwich beams with metal foam core is investigated theoretically and numerically. A fully clamped slender metal sandwich beam with a physically asymmetric cross section is considered, and the yield criterion for a physically asymmetric sandwich structure is employed in the analysis. Theoretical and numerical analyses are presented to predict the low-velocity impact response of the physically asymmetric sandwich beam. The dynamic, quasi-static and so-called ‘bounds’ solutions are obtained, respectively. It is found that the theoretical predictions are in excellent agreement with the numerical results. Using the analytical formulae, optimal design charts are constructed to maximize the low-velocity impact resistance of physically asymmetric sandwich beams for a given mass. Finally, the performances of optimally designed sandwich beams with various face-sheet material combinations are discussed in detail.