MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF REINFORCED AND THREE-LAYER SHELLS BASED ON METAMATERIALS, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OPERATIONAL DAMAGE

Abstract— The conventional design in aeronautical engineering is reinforced shell, which for most structures is a thin shell with a stringer set. This article compares the behavior of a conventional reinforced shell and a spaced shell metamaterial structure with a reinforced set using the example of a main airplane pressure bulkhead. The evaluation criterion is to ensure the required level of residual strength when the limiting state is reached.

Geodesic domes for planetary exploration

Venus and the Ocean Worlds are emerging areas of interest for space exploration, as they can potentially host, or have hosted, conditions compatible with life. Landers and probes for in-situ exploration, however, must deal with very high external pressure, due to the environmental conditions, often resulting in thick and heavy structures. Robust, reinforced shell structures can provide a lightweight solution for the primary structure. In this frame, the isogrid layout is already a standard in aerospace, especially for flat panels or cylindrical shells. In this paper, isogrid-stiffened hemispherical shells, or “geodesic domes”, are described, focusing on the case of a concept of a Venus lander. Early design methods for both plain and geodesic domes subjected to external pressure are presented, providing design equations. Additive Manufacturing is identified as the key technology for fabricating metallic geodesic domes, due to the complexity of the internal features. Moreover, it allows to fabricate ports and integrated thermostructural systems in the same process, potentially resulting in improved performance or cost and schedule savings.

The Refined Model of Viscoelastic-Plastic Deformation of Reinforced Cylindrical Shells

The paper formulates the initial-boundary-value problem of the viscoelastic-plastic bending behavior of cylindrical circular shells cross-reinforced along equidistant surfaces. The instant elastoplastic deformation of the shell composition components is described by the governing equations of the theory of plastic flow with isotropic hardening. The viscoelastic deformation of these materials is described by the defining relations of the Maxwell - Boltzmann model of body. The geometric nonlinearity of the problem is taken into account in the Karman approximation. The used system of two-dimensional resolving equations and the corresponding initial and boundary conditions make it possible to determine displacements and stress-strain state (including residual one) in materials of the composition of flexible cylindrical shells with varying degrees of accuracy. In this case, the weak resistance of the considered composite structures to transverse shears is taken into account. In the first approximation, the equations are used, the initial and boundary conditions correspond to the relations of the widely used non-classical Reddy theory. A numerical solution of the initial-boundary-value problem posed is constructed using an explicit step-by-step "cross" scheme. The elastoplastic and viscoelastic-plastic dynamic deformation of a relatively thin long circular cylindrical shell is investigated. The structure is rationally reinforced in the circumferential direction and is loaded with an internal pressure of an explosive type. It has been demonstrated that under intense short-term loading even of a relatively thin cylindrical reinforced shell by internal pressure, the traditional Reddy theory does not guarantee that the maximum residual deflection and the intensity of residual deformations of the components of the composition are accurate to within 10% compared to calculations performed by the refined theory. The difference in the results of the corresponding calculations increases with an increase in the relative thickness of the composite shell. It was found that after plastic deformation of a long reinforced cylindrical shell in its residual state, not only appear zones of edge effects, but also a local zone of an intense deformation located in the vicinity of the central section of the shell. The length of the local central zone is comparable with the length of the zones of edge effects. It is shown that the amplitude of the transverse vibrations of the reinforced shell in the vicinity of the initial moment of time significantly (by an order of magnitude) exceeds the value of the maximum modulus of the residual deflection. Therefore, the calculations performed in the framework of the theory of elastoplastic deformation of composition materials do not allow a very approximate determination of the magnitude of the residual displacements and the magnitude of the residual deformed state of the components of the composition of the cylindrical shell.

Effect of Ceramic and Nylon Fiber Content on Composite Silica Sol Slurry Properties and Bending Strength of Investment Casting Shell

In order to improve the performance of the investment casting shell, ceramic and nylon fiber was added to the silica sol slurry to study the effect of ceramic and nylon fiber on the liquidity of the silica sol slurry and the bending strength of the investment casting shell. Meanwhile, the fracture surface of shell sample was observed by SEM. The experiment results indicate that the movement viscosity of slurry increases with ceramic and nylon fiber content, increasing from 0 to 0.75 wt.%. The movement viscosity of ceramic fiber composite slurry is higher than nylon fiber composite slurry. The wet and high strength of shell firstly increases then decreases, with an increase of ceramic and nylon fiber content. When the ceramic and nylon fibers’ contents are 0.6 wt.%, the maximum wet strengths are 3.56 MPa and 3.84 Mpa respectively, increasing by approximately 38% and 43%. Moreover, the high strength of shell achieves its highest value, 5.08 Mpa, when the ceramic fiber content is 0.6 wt.%; however, when the nylon fiber content was more than 0.3%, the high strength of the nylon fiber reinforced shell was decreased sharply. Therefore, an addition of ceramic and nylon fiber to silica sol slurry distinctly influences the wet and high strength of investment casting shell.