Buckling Optimization of Variable Stiffness Composite Panels for Curvilinear Fibers and Grid Stiffeners

Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) machines can manufacture composite panels with curvilinear fibers. In this article, the critical buckling load of grid-stiffened curvilinear fiber composite panels is maximized using a genetic algorithm. The skin is composed of layers in which the fiber orientation varies along one spatial direction. The design variables are the fiber orientation of the panel for each layer and the stiffener layout. Manufacturing constraints in terms of maximum curvature allowable by the AFP machine are imposed for both skin and stiffener fibers. The effect of manufacturing-induced gaps in the laminates is also incorporated. The finite element method is used to perform the buckling analyses. The panels are subjected to in-plane compressive and shear loads under several boundary conditions. Optimization results show that the percentage difference in the buckling load between curvilinear and straight fiber panels depends on the load case and boundary conditions.