impact

Impact Dynamics

While conventional theoretical and numerical techniques have made considerable strides to explaining static interactions, the effect of transient impact events on engineering design is still not well understood. This is due not only to nonlinear physics, but also to the difficulty in defining readily available material properties for material performance under dynamic loading.

The PFTL conducts both experiments and modeling with the goal of understanding how a wide array of engineering materials behave under dynamic impact. High speed particle tracking, surface metrology, and impact testing are combined to elucidate the physics required to design engineering systems and surfaces that are more robust against impact damage.

Photo: metropreps.com

 

Specific Projects