EID A2 Assignment

Design of a Composite Laminated Horizontal Stabilizer

1 Theory

In order to understand how minimizing maximum displacement of the

stabilizer can lead to better performance, we need to find out how loading
conditions affects the stabilizer.
Firstly, loading conditions lead to stress being experienced by the stabilizer.
Stress is defined as average force acting per unit area onto an object and it
can be divided into the following parts:
1.1

Stress and Strain

Axial stress; a force is acting perpendicularly normal to it and is given by the

formula,
ave =

Fn
A

Shear stress; a transverse force is applied across an object and is given by

the formula,
ave =

Fs
A

Torsion; the twisting of an object as a result of a torque acting on it and is

given by the formula,
=
z

Tr
J

Where T is the torque

r is the distance from the center of rotation
J is the torsion constant

From here, we can deduced that axial and shear force are present in the first
loading condition while all the above-mentioned stresses are applicable for
the second condition as a result of the torque from the 2 forces.
Strain is defined as the deformation of a solid as a result of stress acting on it
and is given by the formula,
=

dl
=
d l0 E

Where E is the Youngs modulus of the material

Poissons ratio is defined as the ratio of transverse contraction strain to axial
extension strain and is given by the formula,
=

trans
axial

Poissons effect arises from the slight movements between molecules and the
stretching of molecular bonds within the material lattice to withstand stress. When
the bonds increase in the stress direction, they decrease in the other directions. This
behavior is then multiplied millions of times throughout the material lattice to cause
this effect.

Stress-strain curve of a
typical material

Strain
Yield Point: the maximum amount of stress a material can withstand before
plastic deformation occurs
Ultimate Tensile Strength: maximum amount of strength the material can
withstand
Fracture Point: Point at which failure of the material occurs
The stress- strain curve above shows how the effect of stress and strain can
have on a material and so it is important for us to ensure that the material
used in our stabilizer is able to withstand the resulting loading conditions.

1.2

Bending moment

On top of the stresses that are considered, we also need to take note of
bending moment that occurs at a given point on an element. To better
understand it, the shear and bending moment diagram is used to calculate
both values. For the first loading condition, we can refer to it as a cantilever
bending moment.

L=
300m
m

AE

P=
1N/m
Cm
DStab
ilize
Free
r
Body
Shear
Diagram
Force
Diagr
Bending
am
Moment
Diagram

At any point along the stabilizer, there is a moment,

d2 y
Px=M x =EI
d x2
Where EI is the bending rigidity
Integrating it we find the deflection about point CD which is given by,
y cd =

P L3
3 EI

2 Procedure and Results

Procedure: Varying theta of layer
Thickn
ess (m)
0.0148
8

Theta
()
0

dmx 1
(m)
0.0036
39

dmx 2
(m)
0.0022
48

Averag
e (m)
0.0029
44

0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8
0.0148
8

45
80
90
93
95
97
100
105
110
135
137
140
180

0.0034
77
0.0019
03
0.0016
2
0.0015
85
0.0015
75
0.0015
76
0.0016
25
0.0018
04
0.0020
3
0.0031
97
0.0032
6
0.0033
41
0.0036
39

0.0026
97
0.0017
42
0.0013
17
0.0012
13
0.0011
48
0.0010
85
0.0009
92
0.0008
43
0.0007
47
0.0008
74
0.0009
61
0.0011
05
0.0024
8

0.0030
87
0.0018
23
0.0014
69
0.0013
99
0.0013
62
0.0013
31
0.0013
09
0.0013
24
0.0013
89
0.0020
36
0.0021
11
0.0022
23
0.0030
6

Conclusion: stabilizer experiences minimum displacement when theta =

100o.
Procedure: Varying the number of layers
Thickne
ss (m)

Theta
()

Layer
s

0.01

0.005
0.00333
33

0.0025
0.002

0
0

4
5

dmx
1 (m)
0.011
8
0.011
8
0.011
8
0.011
8
0.011

dmx 2
(m)
0.0072
68
0.0072
68
0.0072
68
0.0072
68
0.0072

Averag
e (m)
0.0095
39
0.0095
39
0.0095
39
0.0095
39
0.0095

0.00166
67
0.00142
86

0.00125
0.00111
11

0.001

10

8
0.011
8
0.011
8
0.011
8
0.011
8
0.011
8

68
0.0072
68
0.0072
68
0.0072
68
0.0072
68
0.0072
68

39
0.0095
39
0.0095
39
0.0095
39
0.0095
39
0.0095
39

Conclusion: Varying the number of layers has no effect on the displacement

Procedure: Varying thickness

Thickn
ess (m)
0.0148
8

Theta
()

0.013

0.012

0.011

0.01

0.009

0.008

0.007

0.006

0.005

0.004

dmx 1
(m)
0.0036
39
0.0054
29
0.0068
81
0.0089
05
0.0118
1
0.0161
36
0.0228
74
0.0339
77
0.0535
64
0.0921
2
0.1785
71

dmx 2
(m)
0.0022
48
0.0033
48
0.0042
4
0.0054
83
0.0072
68
0.0099
27
0.0140
72
0.0209
07
0.0330
34
0.0567
7
0.1102
05

Averag
e (m)
0.0029
44
0.0043
89
0.0055
61
0.0071
94
0.0095
39
0.0130
32
0.0184
73
0.0274
42
0.0432
99
0.0744
45
0.1443
88

Mass
(kg)
2.499
84
2.184
2.016
1.848
1.68
1.512
1.344
1.176
1.008
0.84
0.672

Disp/ma
ss
(m/kg)
0.00117
77
0.00200
94
0.00275
82
0.00389
29
0.00567
8
0.00861
87
0.01374
48
0.02333
5
0.04295
54
0.08862
5
0.21486
31

0.003

0.4194
78

0.002

1.4

0.2593
96
0.8680
16

0.3394
37
1.1340
08

0.001

0.0004

11.04
170.82
1

6.864
106.31
8

8.952
138.56
95

0.0001

10890

6780

8835

0.504
0.336
0.168
0.067
2
0.016
8

0.67348
61
3.37502
38
53.2857
14
2062.04
61
525892.
86

Conclusion: Least displacement is achieved with maximum thickness of

stabilizer
Procedure: Varying the change in theta
Thickne
ss (m)
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4

Layer
s

Theta
()

Theta
2 ()

Theta
()

10

10

20

20

30

30

40

40

50

50

60

60

70

70

80

80

90

90

100

100

110

110

120

120

dmx 1
(m)

dmx 2
(m)

0.0036
69
0.0037
22
0.0037
27
0.0036
22
0.0033
76
0.0030
14
0.0026
06
0.0022
32
0.0019
93
0.0019
71
0.0021
95
0.0025
76

0.0022
5
0.0022
93
0.0023
95
0.0025
11
0.0025
59
0.0024
75
0.0022
47
0.0019
12
0.0015
52
0.0012
59
0.0010
64
0.0010
08

Average
(m)
0.00296
0.00300
8
0.00306
1
0.00306
7
0.00296
8
0.00274
5
0.00242
7
0.00207
2
0.00177
3
0.00161
5
0.00163
0.00179
2

0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4
0.0074
4

130

130

140

140

150

150

160

160

170

170

180

180

0.0029
47
0.0032
49
0.0035
14
0.0036
52
0.0036
64
0.0036
39

0.0011
19
0.0013
83
0.0017
2
0.0020
24
0.0022
04
0.0022
48

0.00203
3
0.00231
6
0.00261
7
0.00283
8
0.00293
4
0.00294
4

Conclusion: Least displacement when change in theta between adjacent

layers when theta = 100o
Procedure: Varying number of layers and thickness of each layer with the
best parameters found from the above readings earlier
Total Thickness = 0.006m
Thickness (m)
0.0001
0.0002
0.00024
0.0003
0.0004

Layers
60
30
25
20
15

dmx 1 (m)
0.020016
0.019179
0.020459
0.018254
0.02137

Theta = 100
dmx 2 (m)
0.011032
0.011384
0.011278
0.011252
0.009475

Average (m)
0.015524
0.015282
0.015869
0.014753
0.015423

Conclusion: Best performance is achieved when 20 layers are used with each
thickness 0.0003m.

3 Evaluation
From the above experimental calculations, we

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torsion_%28mechanics%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisson's_ratio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shear_and_moment_diagram
http://enpub.fulton.asu.edu/imtl/HTML/Manuals/MC105_Cantilever_Flexure.ht
m