Buckling and Postbuckling Behavior of Curved Composite Panels Due to Thermal and Mechanical Loading

Abstract

The buckling and postbuckling responses of unstiffened cylindrically curved composite panels are studied using the finite element code STAGS and a geometrically nonlinear Rayleigh-Ritz solution. Loading is either through axial end-shortening at a fixed spatially uniform temperature, or it is temperature-induced due to the thermal stresses that arise when the spatially uniform temperature is increased while axial end displacement is restrained to be zero. Comparisons are made between two sets of boundary conditions and three laminates. Buckling and postbuckling responses are found to be strongly dependent on material orthotropy and are substantially affected by the amount of circumferential restraint along the straight edge boundaries.