A Three-Node C° Element for Analysis of Laminated Composite Sandwich Shells
Martin, C. Wayne and Lung, S. F. and Gupta, K. K. (1989) A Three-Node C° Element for Analysis of Laminated Composite Sandwich Shells. Technical Report NASA TM-4125, Research Engineering, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center.
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Abstract
A three-node flat shell element with C° rotation fields has been developed for analysis of arbitrary composite shells. The element may consist of any number of orthotropic layers, each layer having different material properties and angular orientation. The formulation includes coupling between bending and extension, which is essential for analysis of unsymmetric laminates. Shearing deflections are included, since laminated and sandwich construction frequently results in shear stiffness much smaller than bending stiffness. Formulation of the element is straightforward, and calculation of its stiffness matrix is simple and fast. Convergence of solutions with mesh refinement is uniform for both thin and thick shells and is insensitive to element shape, although not as rapid as some other elements that lack one or more capabilities of the newly developed element. An experimental verification of the shell element is reported in the appendix.
| EPrint Type: | NASA Technical Memorandum |
|---|---|
| Keywords: | Composite shell elements, Finite elements, Structural analysis |
| Subjects: | (31 - 39) Engineering: (39) Structural Mechanics |
| ID Code: | 393 |
| Deposited On: | 16 Febuary 2005 |
| Additional Information: | 16 pages. Point of contact: Dr. C. Wayne Martin, Prof. of Engineering Mechanics, University of Nebraska, 212 Bancraft Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0347 |
