Artificial bird strike on Hopkinson tube device: experimental and numerical analysis

Abstract This work shows a combined experimental-numerical research in bird impact. In order to perform the experimental tests, a artificial bird has been prepared and impacted against a Hopkinson tube in a wide range of impact velocities (70-200 m/s). The Hopkinson tube was designed in order to measure the induced force transmitted in the tube by the impact. This force could be used to compare different experimental tests and also to validate the numerical models proposed. In addition, the whole process of impact was recorded by means of high speed video cameras. The images captured allow to perform the analysis of the bird kinematics during the impact. Numerically, in order to reproduce the high deformations experienced by the artificial bird in the impact process, the Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) technique has been used. Concerning the artificial bird material behaviour, four different models were employed, combining the two material models and two equations of state most used in the literature. The four cases have been compared with the experimental measurements and benchmarked. After the analysis of the results, it can be concluded that the combined experimental-numerical methodology proposed successfully can be used to study and validate the numerical models for simulating the behaviour of soft impactor when subjected to high velocity impacts. It can be seen that the normal impact forces induced by the impact are reproduced adequately for all the numerical models. However the radial spreading of the soft impactor is not reproduced as adequately as the other cases, especially in low velocity impacts. This effect can be important to reproduce the radial distribution of pressures and the secondary impacts produced by this radial expansion.