Postbuckling analysis of stiffened Laminated Curved Panels

Abstract

An analytical solution is presented for the postbuckling behavior of composite laminated stiffened curved panels, whether curved in a longitudinal or lateral direction (not both). The nonlinear equations for the model are based on the Von Karman kinematic approach and consist of equilibrium equations for curved plate, continuity requirements, and boundary conditions. These equations are expressed in terms of the out‐of‐plane displacement and Airy stress functions. The characteristic behavior in the pre‐ and postlimit positions is exploited by using an eigenfunction series in the longitudinal direction (direction of the stiffeners) and a finite difference scheme in the other direction. A modified Galerkin procedure is used to minimize errors involved in the truncated series and the nonfulfillment of the boundary conditions. The solution obtained through this procedure proved to be very efficient compared to general purpose finite element codes, especially when mode interactions and parametric studies are involved.