Abstract
Launch-vehicle shell structures, which can be comprised of both cylindrical and conical sections, are known to be susceptible to buckling due to their large radius-to-thickness ratios. The advancements in composite manufacturing and numerical methods have enabled designers to consider more nontraditional shapes, such as connecting the conical and cylindrical sections with a toroidal transition to create a single-piece conical-cylindrical shell. This single-piece construction eliminates the need for a heavy interface ring between sections and has the potential to save mass. To better understand the buckling behavior, a composite conical-cylindrical shell was designed, fabricated, and tested. Prior to test, a finite element model that included thickness variations and radial imperfections was created. The test article buckled elastically at 251.8 kN, approximately 8.8% higher than the predicted buckling load of 231.4 kN Continued research in conical-cylindrical structures has the potential to expand the design space for launch-vehicle structures and lead to improved designs and reduced weight.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | AIAA SciTech Forum 2023 |
Number of pages | 18 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-62410-699-6 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2023 |
Event | AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum - National Harbor, MD & Online, Washington, United States Duration: 23 Jan 2023 → 27 Jan 2023 https://arc-aiaa-org.tudelft.idm.oclc.org/doi/book/10.2514/MSCITECH23 |
Conference
Conference | AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum |
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Country/Territory | United States |
City | Washington |
Period | 23/01/23 → 27/01/23 |
Internet address |