COCOMAT GUIDELINES for DESIGN & ANALYSIS of CFRP STIFFENED PANELS for BUCKLING & POSTBUCKLING

G. Ghilai1, E. Feldman1 and A. David

1 1

Israel Aerospace Industries, IAI Ben Gurion, International Airport, 70100, Israel E-mail:gghilai@iai.co.il Keywords: Buckling, Post-buckling, composite stiffened panels, Damage, cyclic loading.
Abstract One of the most important goals of the COCOMAT EU R&D project is the generation of a formulated set of guidelines, which can be applied when buckling or post buckling of stiffened CFRP panels are considered. Issues of concern for composite materials are addressed, such as prediction of onset of damage and propagation of defects during buckling and post buckling, under static and cyclic loading. The design and analysis guidelines are the result of a good cooperation between partners from industry, universities and research centers, and are based on extensive theoretical and experimental research performed within the COCOMAT project. The analysis guidelines cover FE types and meshing, damage mechanisms, degradation models, recommendations regarding interface elements at damage zone and ply failure models. Comparison between various analysis codes is also provided. Lessons learned concerning testing of structures in the buckling regime are presented. Sensitivity of conventional design to damage of various sizes has been investigated, and conclusions are drawn regarding design criteria. Two structural applications are also presented, where some of the above mentioned guidelines were implemented at IAI. 1 Introduction The overall objective of the COCOMAT EU R&D project is to contribute to a reduction of A/C development and operating costs. The main project goal is the development of fast and reliable tools for design of composite structures, in order to realize aircraft weight and cost saving (Fig. 1). For achieving this goal, partners from the industry, universities and research centers have done extensive theoretical and experimental research. Tools were developed, for the prediction of damage initiation and propagation. Different damage sizes were evaluated, including extreme scenarios, where within a fuselage bay, one of the stringers is fully detached or broken. These tools were verified by testing, under static and cyclic loading.

Current design scenario

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Future design scenario

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Fig. 1 - Current and future design philosophy for typical stringer-stiffened composite panels

2 2.1

Guidelines

Analysis and finite Element modelling methods

Global behavior of composite stiffened panels can be accurately simulated using FE codes, if the degradation mechanism is included. The implicit codes, MSC/Nastran, MSC/Marc, and Abaqus/Standard are capable of analyzing post buckling problems, and have similar nonlinear solution algorithms. For predicting damage initiation and propagation, interface elements (IEs) are required at the damage zone. Post buckling mode shape analysis is essential for predicting critical damage locations. Arc-length methods may be used for 1st skin buckling prediction. Use of displacement control is recommended. Small convergence tolerances and accurate stiffness matrix update methods are required. The Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) has been shown to be suitable for predicting crack growth initiation and propagation. Large degree of non-linearity in the post buckling regime requires a high level of model accuracy which includes: Incorporation of asymmetric lay-ups, skin-stiffener interface offset, regular and consistent mesh, proper simulation of end conditions etc Use 4-node shell square elements (computational cost), with mixed element formulations (not simple displacement-based). Use at least 4 elements for free skin (circumferential dir.), at least 2 elements for stringer feet and between 2-4 elements for the blade. In case of numerical instabilities, use explicit analysis to model quasi-static loading, with appropriate loading rates, mass scaling, global & local damping, adaptive time step. Stiffened structures undergoing damage up to collapse are sensitive to: geometric and material imperfections, boundary conditions, manufacturing variability (bond quality, ply misalignment), buckling mode shape. A Robustness parameter, determined by stochastic analysis, may be used to measure design variability.

2-2

Damage mechanisms
Damage is triggered by two key mechanisms: Fiber fracture and initiation of interlaminar damage at/around skin-stiffener interface. Skin/stiffener interface damage initiation depends on the local peeling stresses due to skin deflection away from stringer flange. For pre-existing skin stiffener disbonding underneath a stiffener flange (Fig. 2):

Most critical
skin

Less critical
Fig. 2 Disbonding criticality at skin-stringer interface

Least critical

Critical impact locations correspond to stringer max. compressive strain. Usage of the Building Block Approach is highly valuable in identifying and isolating key damage mechanisms and assessing their behavior at different scales. In stiffened structures, crack growth normally occurs at skin stiffener interface. Interlaminar crack growth is a mixed mode phenomenon. The B-K mixed mode failure criterion was found to be suitable to predict crack growth, and slightly more realistic than the Power Law criterion at higher proportions of mode II. Hashin ply failure model is preferable to Tsai-Hu, since it has physical basis: Failure criteria for fiber fracture / matrix cracking / fiber-matrix shearing. The collapse load of a structure undergoing crack growth is significantly higher than that predicted using only the first instance of cracking. Predicted crack growth lengths agree well with experimental results.

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Testing for buckling

Loading machines with displacement control Specimen installation in machine should ensure axial alignment Back-to-back strain gages and displacement transducers installed normal to skin to monitor buckling Proper loading fittings and specimen edges support to ensure valid clamping Metallic paint joining skin and stringer, presents a good solution to detect skin-stringer separation Buckling can be visualized by Moire fringes, Laser or optical (ARAMIS) systems (Fig. 3)
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Fig. 3 Buckling visualization techniques

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Industrial guidelines
In conventionally designed composite stiffened panels, Skin-Stringer disbonding doesnt occur as a result of skin buckling. Skin-Stringer disbonding did not initiate and existing damage did not propagate, even after 2000 buckling cycles, under relatively high loads (70% of the collapse load). Local skin buckling can be allowed at 40% ultimate load. However, large scatter is to be expected for 1st buckling mode. Global buckling is not allowed below ultimate load. A safety factor of 10-20% should be maintained between global buckling (collapse) and ultimate load, to account for statistical variability. Stringer spring-back or warping, which are difficult to predict, have a major influence on the quality of skin/stringer bonding. This can be minimized by use of quasi-symmetrical lay-ups & proper design of stringer mandrels.

Sensitivity to Large Damage

Numerical analyses have been carried out for panels and torsion boxes possessing very large disbonding areas. The following hypothetical situations were addressed: the center stringer was detached from the skin over 8%, 10%, 25%, 75%, and 100% of its length. In addition complete removal of stringer was considered. The results indicate that (fig. 4): As long as the disbonding size does not exceed 10% (65 mm) of the stringer length, it does not affect noticeably the force-shortening curves. Once the damage size reaches ~25% of stringer length, the load-shortening curves differ from those for the perfect structure, but are only slightly sensitive to further delamination growth, till complete detachment of the stringer. Complete removal or detachment of a stringer yields a detectable drop in the load-carrying capacity. However, the structure is shown to be fail-safe - A/C structural integrity is kept, since the limit design load is maintained.

Load - Shortening, ply failure included

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Load-displacement curves for center stringer detached

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Analysis Tool: SAMCEF

Fig. 4 Load-displacement curves for various damages

Analysis Tool: MARC

IAI Structural Applications

Structural applications are presented below, where some of the above mentioned guidelines were implemented at IAI. A metal horizontal Stabilizer for a helicopter was redesigned using composite materials. An innovative design was used, with the achievement of: 70% reduction in no. of fasteners, 60% reduction in no. of parts, 18% weight saving and 30% cost saving. The stabilizer skin was designed for buckling at 50% limit load (Fig. 5). This was confirmed by full scale testing of the part. In addition, it was shown during full scale fatigue testing using a conservative spectrum, that existing defects did not grow, and new defects did not initiate.

Fig. 5 Helicopter stabilizer skin buckling

In another IAI application, a very large airborne Radome, was shown to be capable of sustaining damages much larger than normally allowed for composite structures. The radome was designed as a single integral piece to ensure minimal weight, optimal electrical performance, reduction in no. of parts, labor and assembly costs. The Radome was tested statically beyond ultimate load without any deterioration in its structural performance despite the large embedded defects.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the consortium partners: CRC-ACS, UKA, AERNNOVA SAMTECH, RWTH, FOI, HAI, DLR, PZL, TECHNION, AGUSTA, RTU and SMR for their contribution to the development of new methods & guidelines. This work is supported by the European Commission, Competitive and Sustainable Growth Programme, Contract No. AST3-CT-2003-502723, project COCOMAT.