Composite laminates with linearly varying fiber angles under static and dynamic loads

Abstract

In this paper, natural frequencies, large deflections and failure safety factors of variable stiffness composite laminate (VSCL) plates with curvilinear fibers are studied. In each ply of these rectangular VSCLs, the fiber-orientation angle changes linearly with respect to the horizontal coordinate. To carry out the static and dynamic analysis of the laminates, a new p-version finite element, which follows third-order shear deformation theory, is employed. Large deflections are considered, hence, the analysis is in the non-linear regime. To predict the failure onset, Tsai-Wu criterion is used. Taking into account manufacturing restrictions regarding the fiber curvatures, natural frequencies, deflections, and failure safety factors of some VSCL plates are determined. These results are compared with natural frequencies, deflections, and failure safety factors of constant stiffness composite laminate (CSCL) plates. (c) 2013 by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Inc. All rights reserved.