Mechanical Stability of Hybrid Corrugated Sandwich Plates under Fluid-Structure-Thermal Coupling for Novel Thermal Protection Systems

Abstract

Hybrid corrugated sandwich (HCS) plates have become a promising candidate for novel thermal protection systems (TPS) due to their multi-functionality of load bearing and thermal protection. For hypersonic vehicles, the novel TPS that performs some structural functions is a potential method of saving weight, which is significant in reducing expensive design/manufacture cost. Considering the novel TPS exposed to severe thermal and aerodynamic environments, the mechanical stability of the HCS plates under fluid-structure-thermal coupling is crucial for preliminary design of the TPS. In this paper, an innovative layerwise finite element model of the HCS plates is presented, and coupled fluid-structure-thermal analysis is performed with a parameter study. The proposed method is validated to be accurate and efficient against commercial software simulation. Results have shown that the mechanical instability of the HCS plates can be induced by fluid-structure coupling and further accelerated by thermal effect. The influences of geometric parameters on thermal buckling and dynamic stability present opposite tendencies, indicating a tradeoff is required for the TPS design. The present analytical model and numerical results provide design guidance in the practical application of the novel TPS.

A Simplified Design Method for the Mechanical Stability of Slit-Shaped Additively Manufactured Reactor Modules

“…The following approaches were pursued to enhance mechanical stability: 1. the deformation of the walls in the direction of the y-axis and 2. the insertion of internal structures (Figure 1). Walls bent in three-dimensional (3D) space are expected to be more stable than planar ones [15]. Evenly distributed structures connecting neighboring walls, preventing buckling, were introduced into the design, the structures being hexagonally arranged pins, evenly distributed fins, lattice, or fluid guiding elements (FGE).…”

Low-Velocity Impact Behavior of Foam Core Sandwich Panels with Inter-Ply and Intra-Ply Carbon/Kevlar/Epoxy Hybrid Face Sheets

“…Foam core sandwich composites are used in industries such as aerospace, automobile, wind turbines, marine functional materials and even in home appliances because of their high strength to weight ratio, good buckling resistance and tailorable design which remains dimensionally stable across a wide temperature range [1][2][3][4][5]. Sandwich foam core structures have distinct advantages which make them the preferred choice for numerous applications involving bending, buckling and energy absorption applications such as dynamic loading, high-and low-velocity impacts, blasts, crashes, etc.…”