Advanced Explicit Dynamic Hail Impact Modeling on High-Frequency Aerospace Radomes

Aerospace radomes are highly specialized structures engineered to fulfill a dual purpose: providing aerodynamic and environmental shielding to internal radar equipment while maintaining absolute electromagnetic transparency. Operating under real-world conditions exposes these thin-walled assemblies to extreme transient hazards, such as severe wind-driven hailstorms.

This project explores a high-fidelity numerical assessment evaluating how a multi-layered composite sandwich radome behaves under severe, successive localized impact conditions. By leveraging explicit computational dynamics, this analysis maps out structural degradation pathways to ensure the asset maintains structural integrity during critical flight phases.

A high-end Explicit Dynamic Nonlinear Analysis was developed to map real-time structural performance across all six chronological impact stages.The conceptual methodology focused on replicating true behavioral physics through the following techniques:

• Advanced Particle Hydrodynamics: Rather than modeling ice as a simple rigid or traditional grid-mesh solid, the hail projectile was treated with continuum particle hydrodynamics. This captures progressive fragmentation, liquid-like scattering, and complex free-surface behavior at impact, matching the true physical mechanics of high-speed ice shattering.

• Orthotropic Progressive Failure Mapping: The thin skin panels were defined utilizing fully orthotropic material properties, allowing the solver to independently track longitudinal fiber tension, transverse matrix cracking, and interlaminar shear wave transmission.

• Energy-Absorbing Crushable Media: The internal core layer was configured with compressive stress-strain curves allowing it to function as a compliant, energy-dissipating medium. This accurately tracked the core's ability to collapse locally and cushion the inner skin from critical load paths.