DESIGN OPTIMIZATION OF VARIABLE STIFFNESS COMPOSITE LAMINATES USING SURROGATE MODELS FOR MINIMUM COMPLIANCE OF CURVED WING PANELS

Hasan Inci and Altan Kayran

In this study, variable stiffness curved wing panels are optimized for minimum compliance using surrogate models. With the advance of improved manufacturing capabilities, designers have the ability to design more complex shape and efficient composite structures. In the past three decades, variable stiffness (VS) composite laminates are introduced to the literature. Variable stiffness composites have definite advantages over straight fiber laminates because of the high number of design alternatives they offer. In this study, a curved wing panel is optimized for minimum compliance. To reduce the cost of the design optimization of curved VS composite laminate, a surrogate model is generated from the results of finite element analysis (FEA) in the optimization process, and optimizations are performed with the surrogate model. The reference fiber path definition is determined analytically over the curved composite wing skin panel. The three variables used in the reference fiber path definition are optimized for minimum compliance of the curved wing panel by incorporating the minimum curvature and Tsai-Wu failure constraints.

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