Impact Fatigue Life Prediction of Arresting Hooks Using Virtual Fatigue Testing and Continuum Damage Mechanics

Carrier-based aircraft arresting hooks are subjected to repeated high-strain-rate impacts during arrested landings, leading to impact-induced fatigue that governs their service life and structural safety. To quantitatively evaluate this phenomenon, this study proposes a comprehensive experimental–numerical framework integrating collision–rebound testing, finite element dynamic simulation, and continuum damage mechanics (CDM)-based fatigue modeling. Repeated impact experiments were performed on a custom-built test platform to capture the transient strain evolution of critical regions in the hook head. A validated finite element (FE) model incorporating the VDISP subroutine was then developed to reproduce cyclic impact sequences under realistic boundary conditions. Using the simulated strain histories, a CDM-based fatigue life prediction model for 30CrMnSiNi2A high-strength steel was formulated and calibrated. Comparative analyses showed excellent agreement between experimental and numerical results, with strain and impact-force deviations within 6.6%. The proposed approach not only bridges the gap between physical testing and virtual prediction but also provides a generalized methodology for evaluating rate-dependent fatigue degradation, enabling predictive design and life assessment of carrier-based arresting systems.