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Design and testing of z-shaped stringer-stiffened compression panels -- Evaluation of ARALL, GLARE, AND 2090 materials

Conference ·
OSTI ID:566535
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Failure Analysis Associates, Inc., Menlo Park, CA (United States). Mechanics and Materials Dept.
  2. Textron Aerostructures, Nashville, TN (United States)
  3. Tennessee Technological Univ., Cookeville, TN (United States). Mechanical Engineering Dept.

Within the aerospace industry, there is a constant objective to develop more efficient and more economical aircraft. It is well known that the more prohibitive costs of air travel are associated with fuel consumption and the service losses incurred during downtime maintenance. Obviously, fuel consumption is greatly affected by weight. Thus, there is a search for new materials and construction techniques that offer substantial weight savings. A design study was conducted to determine the potential weight savings and performance increase from advanced metallic materials for wing skin panels. The materials included aluminum lithium 2090-T83, ARALL-3 (aramid-reinforced aluminum laminate) and GLARE-2 (glass-aluminium-reinforced epoxy). This wing has mechanically attached stringers to stiffen the panel against compressive and shear loading. The advanced skin materials were designed into an advanced wing box; advantage was taken of the increase in strength and stiffness. Two 2090-T83 aluminum-lithium skins with 7075-T6511 extruded Z-shaped stringers bonded to them were used for the evaluation of the upper wing cover structure. One panel had five bays, the other four. The study confirmed that a weight savings in the order of 10 to 15% can be achieved with panels made with these advanced materials. The compression tests showed that all test panels failed in column bending and the predicted critical loads compared to those from the tests were conservative. The tests also validated the design methodology.

OSTI ID:
566535
Report Number(s):
CONF-950569--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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