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For a composite laminated plate, it has been found that classical laminate theory (CLT) can not always predict the final cured shape correctly and geometric nonlinearity must be considered. For composite laminated shells, experiments show that the cured shape depends on stacking sequence, radius, thickness, and size. This paper investigates the cured shape of several cross-ply composite shells. The cured shape of a cross-ply shell is generally cylindrical. A model is established to predict the cured shape. The model is based on the Rayleigh-Ritz energy method and considers geometric nonlinearity. Modeling and experiment show that, for certain stacking sequences, the generator of the cured shape may be orthogonal to the original generator, while other stacking sequences can lead to deeper or shallower cured shapes. The predictions of the model are very close to the results of FEM analysis and experiment. This model can be used as a guide in the manufacture of unsymmetric cross-ply laminates.

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This article investigates the technique of using a piezoelectric (P) material as the actuator to control the deformation of thin unsymmetric cross-ply laminated shells. A theoretical model is developed using the Rayleigh–Ritz principle to predict the effect of piezoelectric layer on laminated shell deformation. Several stacking sequences are investigated. Owing to the curvature of the shell, the position of the piezoelectric layer has a great effect on the deformation. The effect of the P-layer as the outer surface or inner surface is investigated. It is found that to achieve the same amount of deformation, different levels of electric fields have to be applied depending on the P-layer configuration. The efficiency of the P-layer on shells with various stacking sequences is also studied and it is observed that the efficiency is determined by the stacking sequence of the composite layers. This model can be used as a guide to design the piezocomposite laminated shell.

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