Dynamic analysis of laminated composite cylindrical shells with stiffeners

Abstract

The domain of engineering and structural mechanics has undergone a transformative shift, courtesy of composite materials, attributing to their remarkable strength-to-weight ratio and versatile design adaptability. Amid the diverse array of composite applications, significant attention has been directed towards composite shells fortified with stiffening elements. These configurations seamlessly amalgamate the merits of composite materials with the augmented load-bearing capabilities conferred by the incorporation of stiffeners. This research undertaking aims to dissect orthotropic multilayered shells manifesting distinct stiffening configurations. The analytical exploration is carried out through the utilization of the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software ANSYS. The ensuing analysis embraces several stiffening patterns: no stiffener, edge beam, central stringer, three equidistant stringers, central ring, and ring with stringer. The inherent diversity in the natural frequencies is reflective of the variance in these stiffening arrangements. Keywords: Laminated Composite Shells, Finite Element Method, Stiffeners, ANSYS.