Mechanical Properties and Failure Analysis of Cellular Core Sandwich Panels

Sandwich Panels with cellular cores are widely used in the aerospace industry for their higher stiffness to mass, strength to mass ratio, and excellent energy absorption capability. Even though, sandwich panels are considered state of the art for lightweight aerospace structures, the requirement to further reduce the mass exists due to the direct impact of mass on mission costs. Traditional manufacturing techniques have limited the shape of the cores to be either hexagonal or rectangular, but, with rapid advancements in additive manufacturing, other core shapes can now be explored. This research aims to identify and evaluate the mechanical performance of two-dimensional cores having standard wall geometry, which provide higher specific stiffness than honeycomb cores. Triangular cores were identified to have higher specific in-plane moduli and equivalent specific out-of-plane and transverse shear moduli. To consider practical use of the triangular cores, elastic and elastic-plastic structural analysis was performed to evaluate the stiffness, strength, failure, and energy absorption characteristics of both the core and sandwich panels. The comparison made between triangular cores and hexagonal cores having the same cell size and relative density showed that triangular cores outperform hexagonal cores in elastic range and for applications where in-plane loading is dominant. Triangular cores also have excellent in-plane energy absorption capabilities at higher densities.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Aerospace Engineering

Department dc:contributor.department

Aerospace and Ocean Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Shah, Udit

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Kapania, Rakesh K.

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Philen, Michael Keith
• Patil, Mayuresh J.

• Honeycomb Sandwich Panels
• Cellular Cores
• Triangular Core
• Auxetic
• Impact
• Failure
• Finite element method

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

vt_gsexam:14049

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/81699