Study of Stiffened Composite Panels Buckling With and Without Cutouts by Experimental and Numerical Methods

In this article the effect of circular cutout size، fiber orientation، and reinforcer edge size on buckling behavior of composite plates is investigated by experimental and numerical. Samples have clamped boundary conditions on L-shaped edges and free on other two sides. In the experimental method، the E-glass/epoxy L-shaped samples with and without circular cutout is applied in three different lay-up under uni-axial compression. Then the buckling and failure loads will be recognized. In the second method، according to numerical method (Ansys 10)، the effect of reinforcer edge size changing and size of circular cutout on composite plate buckling in four different lay-ups with the same experimental materials properties is investigated. The results show that there is the optimum height for reinforcer edge during different conditions that increasing this size just causes the extra weight and cost and does not have a good effect on buckling load.