Design and Analysis of Composite Window Frame for a Regional Aircraft

This work presents the design and analysis of a thermoplastic composite window frame for integration into a regional aircraft. The main parameters which are investigated include buckling, damage and failure loads of a composite window frame subjected to shear loads repesentative of fuselage skin stress distribution due to flight loads. The attachment of such thermoplastic window frame to a thermoset fuselage skin was investigated including both adhesively bonded interface as well as riveting. Even though the bonded frame did meet the design criteria, its failure was very sudden, and the riveted assembly showed a considerably higher strength and structural integrity. The numerical simulation resulted in failure loads which matched very closely to experimental results.