Metamodels for the Optimization of Damagetolerant Composite Structures

Abstract

The research here presented regards the development of an optimization technique for the design of damage-tolerant stiffened composite structures subjected to combined compression and shear loading. Some techniques are already presented in literature regarding the optimization of composite stiffened panels [1-3]. The proposed methodology wants to satisfy a number of different performance requirements, such as buckling load and post-buckling stiffness for various states of damage. In particular, the design must be tolerant of predetermined degradation, due to disbonding between the skin and the stiffeners