Mechanical aspects of the Charpy impact test Original Research Article

A comparative experimental and FEM study has been carried out, in order to investigate dynamic and constraint aspects of the Charpy test. Standard V-notch Charpy specimens were tested under dynamic and static loading conditions. 2-D plane strain and 3-D models were employed in numerical analysis. In order to incorporate strain-rate effects, an elastic-viscoplastic constitutive equation has been applied, based on actual test data obtained for a low-alloy structural steel. Fully dynamic analysis clearly indicated inertial effects. Modal analysis enabled the confirmation of the origin of the oscillations on the load–displacement curve as beam vibration of the specimen resulting from interaction with the elastic striker.