{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44378"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/44378","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Feasibility of helically stiffened construction for a formula racing car structural shell","abstract":"The feasibility of replacing currently widely used sandwich construction with helically stiffened construction for a Formula racing car structural shell is studied. The torsional deformation behavior of circular and square cross-section shells is analyzed as an approximation to the real car structure. Shells with different sandwich and helically stiffened configurations are analyzed with finite elements. For closed square and circular cross-section shells, the highest torsional stiffness is obtained with helical stiffening. For circular cross-section shells with the cockpit cutout and reinforcements usually present in real racing car structural shells, ±4S' helically stiffened shells are 200% stiffer in torsion than sandwich shells. For square cross-section shells, the torsional stiffness improvement obtained with the helical stiffening is only 27%. The cross-sectional shape of the shell, cockpit opening, and different type of reinforcements (present in a real car structure) affects the selection of the best stiffening for torsional stiffness. The role of the terms of the stiffness matrix of the helically stiffened configuration in the torsional behavior of the shells is studied. The 0/90 waffle stiffening is more efficient than the helical stiffening for the square cross-section shells with the cutout and reinforcements. In the case of circular cross-section shells, the 0/90 waffle stiffening yields approximately the same results than the helical stiffening. The skin-stiffener configuration for maximum torsional stiffness depends on the crosssectional shape of the shell. The advantages of the ±45° helical stiffening over the sandwich construction depend on the cross-sectional shape of the shell and on the way the cutout region is reinforced.","abstract_html":"The feasibility of replacing currently widely used sandwich construction with helically stiffened construction for a Formula racing car structural shell is studied. The torsional deformation behavior of circular and square cross-section shells is analyzed as an approximation to the real car structure. Shells with different sandwich and helically stiffened configurations are analyzed with finite elements. For closed square and circular cross-section shells, the highest torsional stiffness is obtained with helical stiffening. For circular cross-section shells with the cockpit cutout and reinforcements usually present in real racing car structural shells, ±4S' helically stiffened shells are 200% stiffer in torsion than sandwich shells. For square cross-section shells, the torsional stiffness improvement obtained with the helical stiffening is only 27%. The cross-sectional shape of the shell, cockpit opening, and different type of reinforcements (present in a real car structure) affects the selection of the best stiffening for torsional stiffness. The role of the terms of the stiffness matrix of the helically stiffened configuration in the torsional behavior of the shells is studied. The 0/90 waffle stiffening is more efficient than the helical stiffening for the square cross-section shells with the cutout and reinforcements. In the case of circular cross-section shells, the 0/90 waffle stiffening yields approximately the same results than the helical stiffening. The skin-stiffener configuration for maximum torsional stiffness depends on the crosssectional shape of the shell. The advantages of the ±45° helical stiffening over the sandwich construction depend on the cross-sectional shape of the shell and on the way the cutout region is reinforced.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Font, Carlos Alejandro"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Engineering Mechanics","degree_department":"Engineering Mechanics","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Jones, Robert M."],"committee_members":["Griffin, Odis Hayden Jr.","Mook, Dean T."],"year":1991,"date_issued":"1991-02-05","date_published":"1991-02-05","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:50Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-08222009-040305"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-08222009-040305","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44378","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Jones, Robert M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Griffin, Odis Hayden Jr.","Mook, Dean T."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Engineering Mechanics"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Font, Carlos Alejandro"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:43:24Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:43:24Z","2009-08-22"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1991-02-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Engineering Mechanics"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-08222009-040305"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44378"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The feasibility of replacing currently widely used sandwich construction with helically stiffened construction for a Formula racing car structural shell is studied. The torsional deformation behavior of circular and square cross-section shells is analyzed as an approximation to the real car structure. Shells with different sandwich and helically stiffened configurations are analyzed with finite elements. For closed square and circular cross-section shells, the highest torsional stiffness is obtained with helical stiffening. For circular cross-section shells with the cockpit cutout and reinforcements usually present in real racing car structural shells, ±4S' helically stiffened shells are 200% stiffer in torsion than sandwich shells. For square cross-section shells, the torsional stiffness improvement obtained with the helical stiffening is only 27%. The cross-sectional shape of the shell, cockpit opening, and different type of reinforcements (present in a real car structure) affects the selection of the best stiffening for torsional stiffness. The role of the terms of the stiffness matrix of the helically stiffened configuration in the torsional behavior of the shells is studied. The 0/90 waffle stiffening is more efficient than the helical stiffening for the square cross-section shells with the cutout and reinforcements. In the case of circular cross-section shells, the 0/90 waffle stiffening yields approximately the same results than the helical stiffening. The skin-stiffener configuration for maximum torsional stiffness depends on the crosssectional shape of the shell. The advantages of the ±45° helical stiffening over the sandwich construction depend on the cross-sectional shape of the shell and on the way the cutout region is reinforced."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["BTD"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Feasibility of helically stiffened construction for a formula racing car structural shell"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Jones, Robert M."],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Griffin, Odis Hayden Jr.","Mook, Dean T."],"dc:contributor.department":["Engineering Mechanics"],"dc:creator":["Font, Carlos Alejandro"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-03-14T21:43:24Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-03-14T21:43:24Z","2009-08-22"],"dc:date.issued":["1991-02-05"],"dc:description.abstract":["The feasibility of replacing currently widely used sandwich construction with helically stiffened construction for a Formula racing car structural shell is studied. The torsional deformation behavior of circular and square cross-section shells is analyzed as an approximation to the real car structure. Shells with different sandwich and helically stiffened configurations are analyzed with finite elements. For closed square and circular cross-section shells, the highest torsional stiffness is obtained with helical stiffening. For circular cross-section shells with the cockpit cutout and reinforcements usually present in real racing car structural shells, ±4S' helically stiffened shells are 200% stiffer in torsion than sandwich shells. For square cross-section shells, the torsional stiffness improvement obtained with the helical stiffening is only 27%. The cross-sectional shape of the shell, cockpit opening, and different type of reinforcements (present in a real car structure) affects the selection of the best stiffening for torsional stiffness. The role of the terms of the stiffness matrix of the helically stiffened configuration in the torsional behavior of the shells is studied. The 0/90 waffle stiffening is more efficient than the helical stiffening for the square cross-section shells with the cutout and reinforcements. In the case of circular cross-section shells, the 0/90 waffle stiffening yields approximately the same results than the helical stiffening. The skin-stiffener configuration for maximum torsional stiffness depends on the crosssectional shape of the shell. The advantages of the ±45° helical stiffening over the sandwich construction depend on the cross-sectional shape of the shell and on the way the cutout region is reinforced."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.medium":["BTD"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.other":["etd-08222009-040305"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/44378"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["Feasibility of helically stiffened construction for a formula racing car structural shell"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Engineering Mechanics"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:50Z"}