The Effect of Geometrical Parameters of Cylindrical Composite Lattice Structures on Buckling Behavior

Due to their light weights and high load carrying capacities, composite structures are widely used in various industrial applications especially in aerospace industry. Stiffening ribs are the main features of lattice type composite structures. Strength to weight ratio is known to be as one of the most critical design parameter in these structures. In this study, the effect of some parameters such as the physical characteristics of the material, shell thickness, angle, thickness and number of ribs on distribution of stresses and buckling loads of shell are investigated. For this purpose, 3D finite element analysis using ANSYS software explicitly was done and then compared with experimental test results. Increasing the thickness of the outer shell causes the structural strength will rise to 50 percent. The next effective parameter is reduction of rib angle which provides an increase of 30 percent in specific load. Although Stiffenerrs (ribs) have a major role in load carrying, but increasing the rib number causes the structural weight rises, thus compared with the two previous parameters do not have a significant effect on the strength of structures.