Design, Optimization, and Evaluation of A1-2139 Compression Panel with Integral T-Stiffeners

• Published in: NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI). Reports
• Main Authors: Mulani, Sameer B, Havens, David, Norris, Ashley, Bird, R Keith, Kapania, Rakesh K, Olliffe, Robert
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Hampton NASA/Langley Research Center 01.06.2012
• Subjects: Aluminum base alloys; Buckling; Compression tests; Design; Design optimization; Displacement; Failure analysis; Finite element method; Metal plates; Nonlinear analysis; Photogrammetry; Stiffeners; Strain gauges

A T-stiffened panel was designed and optimized for minimum mass subjected to constraints on buckling load, yielding, and crippling or local stiffener failure using a new analysis and design tool named EBF3PanelOpt. The panel was designed for a compression loading configuration, a realistic load case for a typical aircraft skin-stiffened panel. The panel was integrally machined from 2139 aluminum alloy plate and was tested in compression. The panel was loaded beyond buckling and strains and out-of-plane displacements were extracted from 36 strain gages and one linear variable displacement transducer. A digital photogrammetric system was used to obtain full field displacements and strains on the smooth (unstiffened) side of the panel. The experimental data were compared with the strains and out-of-plane deflections from a high-fidelity nonlinear finite element analysis.