Aeroelastic Stability of Conventional and Tow-Steered Composite Plates Under Stochastic Fiber Volume

What is it about?

Composite materials, such as those resulting from the combination of carbon fiber and epoxy matrices, have often been considered for replacing metallic alloys in aerospace systems. The main reason for this is the fact that these materials present a number of advantages, such as being more resistant and lightweight. However, in a number of situations, structural components can undergo catastrophic failure due to the interaction with the surround air flow. The term “aeroelastic” apply to phenomena resulting from air-structure interaction. One of the peculiarities of composite materials is that they are susceptible to manufacturing inaccuracies. Hence, it becomes important to evaluate the influence of such inaccuracies on the aeroelastic stability of aerospace components. In the present paper, this influence is quantified by considering that the fiber to matrix fraction is uncertain, being modeled as random.

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