Paper number 473

INFLUENCE OF CURVATURE ON FOAM CORE SANDWICH PANELS

M. A. Battley1, H. Enoksson2

1Industrial Research Limited, PO Box 2225, Auckland, New Zealand
2Department of Aeronautics, Royal Institute of Technology, S 100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

Summary This paper describes a study of the effects that curvature has on deformations and stresses within single curvature sandwich panels subjected to transverse pressure loads. Experimentally verified shell and 3D solid finite element models are used to characterise the influence of curvature and boundary conditions on core shear and transverse stresses, face stresses and deflections. Results are compared to relevant marine structural design codes. Curvature generally reduces panel deflections, skin stresses and core shear stresses, but leads to higher transverse core stresses. Hence for design purposes, a flat panel based analysis should provide conservative answers when the skin or core shear allowables are critical. However design codes based on flat panel stress analysis actually produce unconservative values, particularly for skin stresses.
Keywords sandwich, panel, foam core, curved, finite element, strain measurement, design, marine.

Theme : Composite Structures ; Modelling

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