Open Access

ARTICLE

A Comprehensive Finite Element Model for Tapered Composite Wing Structures

Chyanbin Hwu^1,2, Mengchun Yu¹

1 Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, R.O.C.
2 Corresponding author. Tel: 886-6-2757575 ext.63662; Fax: 886-6-2389940; E-mail: CHwu@mail.ncku.edu.tw

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2010, 67(2), 151-174. https://doi.org/10.3970/cmes.2010.067.151

Abstract

A comprehensive finite element model incorporating the features of comprehensive wing model and finite element method is developed in this paper. This new model extends the applicability of comprehensive wing model from uniform composite wings to tapered composite wings. It preserves the simplicity of one-dimensional finite element but performs like three-dimensional finite element for wing structural analysis. To verify its accuracy and show its efficiency, this model which is applicable to the general dynamic analysis is reduced to two simple cases: static analysis and free vibration analysis. Based upon the reduction results for static and free vibration cases, several numerical examples of composite wing structures are presented such as tapered wings subjected to end load or uniform pressure, and free vibration of tapered wings. The numerical results show that the proposed model is much more efficient than the conventional finite element, and their differences are within 12% in all cases of composite wing structures.

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