Effect of rib structures on ballistic resistance in aluminum plates under rock projectile impact: A hybrid FEM-DEM framework with equivalent thickness analysis

•A hybrid FEM-DEM model simulates brittle projectile impact accurately.•Stress wave reflection near ribs reduces local ballistic resistance.•An equivalent thickness theory quantifies the rib-weakening effect.•Rib proximity decreases the ballistic limit by up to 4 %.•Findings guide optimal design of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Thin-walled structures Vol. 219; p. 114286
Main Authors: Xie, Wenkui, Lu, Haoran, Sun, Hailiang, Wu, Hanling, Sun, Yuxin
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2026
Subjects:
Ballistic resistance
Brittle impact
Equivalent thickness
FEM-DEM
Rib structures
FEM-DEM
Equivalent thickness
Ballistic resistance
Rib structures
Brittle impact
ISSN:0263-8231
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:•A hybrid FEM-DEM model simulates brittle projectile impact accurately.•Stress wave reflection near ribs reduces local ballistic resistance.•An equivalent thickness theory quantifies the rib-weakening effect.•Rib proximity decreases the ballistic limit by up to 4 %.•Findings guide optimal design of ribbed structures against brittle impact. As aerospace vehicles operate more frequently in extreme environments like dust storms or asteroid-rich regions, their structures are increasingly threatened by high-speed impacts from brittle projectiles such as rocks. This study investigates the effect of rib structures on the ballistic resistance of 6061-T6 aluminum plates under high-velocity impact by granite projectiles. A hybrid FEM-DEM model, incorporating a mass-conservative adaptive conversion algorithm, was developed to simulate brittle fracture and debris dynamics. Experimental validation was conducted via gas gun tests, measuring ballistic limits (vbl) at multiple impact points. Results reveal that stress wave reflection near ribs reduces local resistance, decreasing vbl by up to 4% compared to non-ribbed regions. An equivalent thickness theory (h*) is proposed to quantify this effect, demonstrating that rib proximity significantly compromises penetration resistance. The hybrid model outperforms FEM-SPH in accuracy and efficiency. These findings provide new insights for optimizing ribbed aerospace structures against brittle impact threats.
ISSN:0263-8231
DOI:10.1016/j.tws.2025.114286