Failure Prediction in a Layered Shell

Application ID: 48371


Laminated shells made of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CRFP) are common in a large variety of applications due to their high strength-to-weight ratio. The widespread attention to laminated shells is due to their diverse applications in aerospace, marine, automotive, and various manufacturing industries. It is necessary to evaluate the structural integrity of a laminated shell for a set of applied loads in order to make the design of such structures reliable.

In this example, the failure indices and safety factors for a stack of shells (laminate with ply orientation of 90/-45/45/0) are compared with a NAFEMS benchmark solution. The example demonstrates the use of the Shell interface for building layered shells as well as the Safety feature for predicting failure for a set of applied loads.

This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products: