A numerical study on the quasi-static axial crush characteristics of square aluminum–composite hybrid tubes

In this paper, we describe a numerical investigation on the quasi-static axial crush performance of aluminum–composite hybrid tubes containing a filament-wound E-glass fiber-reinforced epoxy over-wrap around square aluminum tubes. The fiber orientation angle in the overwrap was varied between [±30°] and [90°] with respect to the tube’s axis. The quasi-static axial crush resistance of the hybrid tubes are compared in terms of the maximum load, mean crush load, crush energy and specific energy absorption. The deformation modes of these tubes are also described. An empirical equation is proposed for predicting the mean crush force of hybrid tubes.