Sandwich-walled cylindrical shells with lightweight metallic lattice truss cores and carbon fiber-reinforced composite face sheets

• Published in: Composites. Part A, Applied science and manufacturing Vol. 56; pp. 226 - 238
• Main Authors: Xiong, Jian, Ghosh, Ranajay, Ma, Li, Vaziri, Ashkan, Wang, Yulong, Wu, Linzhi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.01.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: A. Carbon fiber; Applied sciences; B. Mechanical properties; C. Analytical modeling; D. Mechanical testing; Exact sciences and technology; Forms of application and semi-finished materials; Laminates; Polymer industry, paints, wood; Technology of polymers; D. Mechanical testing; B. Mechanical properties; A. Carbon fiber; C. Analytical modeling; Strengthening; Laminate; Fiber reinforced material; Sandwich structure; Mechanical properties; Aluminium; Compressive strength; Experimental study; Mineral fiber; Wire; Modeling; Composite material; Truss structure; Cylindrical shell; Buckling; Analytical solution; Crush; Fracture mode; Carbon fiber
• ISSN: 1359-835X; 1878-5840
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2013.10.008

We manufactured sandwich-walled cylindrical shells with aluminum pyramidal truss core of constant curvature employing an interlocking fabrication technique for the metallic core. The skins were made of carbon-fiber reinforced composites and co-cured with the metallic truss core. Thereafter, we carried out axial compression tests on some representative samples to investigate the failure modes of these structures and compared with an analytical failure map developed to account for Euler buckling, shell buckling, local buckling between reinforcements and face-crushing. The experimental data closely matched the analytically predicted behavior of the cylinders. In particular, we found that local buckling and face crushing modes can exist together and are the most important modes of failure of the fabricated structure.