Numerical simulation of aluminum foam and its composite structures under impact loads: From geometric models to engineering applications

Aluminum foam (AF) and its composites are promising lightweight, energy-absorbing materials for impact-resistant applications in automotive, aerospace, and military fields. Owing to the complexity and cost of physical experiments, numerical simulation is a vital tool for predicting their dynamic response and failure modes. This review systematically summarizes the core content of numerical simulations in this field, including material models, numerical methods, simulation examples, and engineering applications. First, we focus on geometric modeling and material property modeling, providing detailed descriptions of four typical models for AF cores. The geometric models and material properties of relevant composite structures are also discussed. Second, we summarize the mainstream methods and procedures for impact simulation, including the finite element method (FEM), smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), and other emerging numerical methods. Then, we classify the simulated loading processes according to the impact velocity and systematically analyse their respective simulation characteristics and the selection of constitutive models. Later, we summarize and discuss the use of numerical simulations in key engineering fields. Finally, we highlight the current challenges in this field and envision its potential future development directions.