Testing of a Composite Conical-Cylindrical Shell

Conference paper (2023)

Authors

Michelle Tillotson Rudd NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Marc R. Schultz NASA Langley Research Center
Nathaniel W. Gardner NASA Langley Research Center
Cyrus J. R. Kosztowny NASA Langley Research Center
C. Bisagni Aerospace Structures & Computational Mechanics - Aerospace Engineering
Research Group
Aerospace Structures & Computational Mechanics (Aerospace Engineering) (TU Delft)
Copyright: © 2023 Michelle Tillotson Rudd, Marc R. Schultz, Nathaniel W. Gardner, Cyrus J. R. Kosztowny, C. Bisagni
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-1525
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Published Date

2023

Language

English

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Faculty

Aerospace Engineering

Department

Aerospace Structures & Materials

Research Group

Aerospace Structures & Computational Mechanics

Abstract

Launch-vehicle shell structures, which can be comprised of both cylindrical and conical sections, are known to be susceptible to buckling due to their large radius-to-thickness ratios. The advancements in composite manufacturing and numerical methods have enabled designers to consider more nontraditional shapes, such as connecting the conical and cylindrical sections with a toroidal transition to create a single-piece conical-cylindrical shell. This single-piece construction eliminates the need for a heavy interface ring between sections and has the potential to save mass. To better understand the buckling behavior, a composite conical-cylindrical shell was designed, fabricated, and tested. Prior to test, a finite element model that included thickness variations and radial imperfections was created. The test article buckled elastically at 251.8 kN, approximately 8.8% higher than the predicted buckling load of 231.4 kN Continued research in conical-cylindrical structures has the potential to expand the design space for launch-vehicle structures and lead to improved designs and reduced weight.

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6.2023_1525.pdf
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