Aerothermoelastic analysis of curvilinear fiber variable stiffness laminated panels in supersonic flow

The thermal buckling and nonlinear flutter characteristics of laminated composite panels with curvilinear fiber paths in supersonic flow are examined. The Mindlin thick theory along with the von-Karman larger deformation relationship is adopted for structural modeling and the first-order aerodynamic piston theory for loading effects of the supersonic airflow, respectively. Also, the thermal stress and the change of mechanical properties of the material caused by the temperature rise are considered. The governing nonlinear equations of motion are obtained by using the virtual work principle, and the final partial differential equations of motion are discretized by using the finite element method, which is, respectively, solved by complex mode method in frequency domain and the Newmark method in time domain. After the validity of the presented method, the effects of curved fiber angle, temperature rise, dynamic pressure on the frequency coalescence, thermal buckling, limit cycle oscillation, and stability boundary of the curved fiber variable stiffness laminated panel are investigated in detail.

Automated summary

The thermal buckling and nonlinear flutter characteristics of laminated composite panels with curvilinear fiber paths in supersonic flow are investigated in this study. The structural modeling and loading effects are considered, and the nonlinear equations of motion are solved using the finite element method. The results show that the curved fiber angle, temperature rise, and dynamic pressure have significant effects on the panel's performance.