Finite element modelling and multi-objective optimization of composite submarine pressure hull subjected to hydrostatic pressure

Abstract

The design of submarine pressure hull made of laminated composites depends on number of layers and fibre orientation of ply angle. In the present study an overview and comprehensive study about the multi-objective optimization of composite pressure hull under hydrostatic pressure to minimize the weight of the pressure hull and increase the buckling load capacity according to the design requirements. Three models were constructed, two models constructed from Carbon/Epoxy composite (USN-150) with and without core layer the third model is metallic submarine hull constructed from HY100. The low-density PVC foam material is used as a core material. The optimization process is carried out in ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL). The constraints on the optimization process are Tsai-Wu and maximum stress failure criteria. The results obtained emphasize that, the submarine constructed from Carbon/Epoxy composite (USN-150) is better than the submarine constructed from HY100. Furthermore, the submarine constructed from carbon fiber-epoxy composite (USN-150) with core layer is better than the submarine constructed from carbon fiber-epoxy composite (USN-150) without core layer. Finally, an optimized model with an optimum pattern of fiber orientations was presented. Hopefully, the results may provide a valuable insight for the future of designing composite underwater vehicles.