Supersonic Flutter Analysis of Curvilinear Fiber Variable Stiffness Composite Laminated Plates

In the present research, the variable stiffness composite laminated (VSCL) plates with curvilinear fiber orientation is considered and the flutter behavior analysis under supersonic airflow is performed. A variable stiffness design can increase the laminated composite structural performance and also provides flexibility for trading-offs between various structural properties. In each ply of the VSCL plate, the fiber-orientation angle assumed to be changed linearly with respect to horizontal geometry coordinate. The classical plate theory and a first-order piston theory is utilized to explain the structural and through the geometry aerodynamic loading behaviors, respectively. The Rayleigh-Ritz method followed by an eigenvalue analysis are then applied to the problem governing equations to extract the panel flutter characteristics. The effects of change in curvilinear fiber orientation angles on the flutter critical aerodynamic pressure is then investigated. The obtained results show very good conformity in comparison with those exists in the available literature.