Damage modeling of ballistic impact in woven fabrics

The focus of this chapter is on characterizing and developing a robust and reliable material model for dry, woven fabrics. These materials have the capability of protecting systems that are subjected to impact, including high-velocity ballistic impacts such as those seen in propulsion engines' fan-containment systems and soft body armor. A framework is described for obtaining the material properties, building and using a finite element model suitable for explicit finite element analysis, and ensuring that the results are correct. Examples of finite element models used for high-velocity impact analysis are discussed. The chapter concludes with discussions on future trends in materials development, experimental techniques and modeling.