Optimum design of fiber-reinforced composite cylindrical skirts for solid rocket cases subjected to buckling and overstressing constraints

Abstract

Abstract In order to increase the flight range of aerospace vehicles and the efficiency of solid rocket motors, designers attempt to reduce the weight of solid rocket motors. A skirt is a potential element for weight reduction in rocket motors as it leads to reduction of the total weight of solid rocket motor. Due to its significance for solid rocket motors, the objective of this paper is to investigate the optimal design of a fiber-reinforced composite cylindrical skirt subjected to a buckling strength constraint and an overstressing strength constraint under aerodynamic torque and axial thrust. The present optimal design problem involve in determining the best laminate configuration to minimize the weight of the cylindrical skirt. To find the optimal solution accurately and quickly, the hybrid genetic algorithm (HGA) is employed in this work. Buckling strength and overstressing strength of the fiber-reinforced composite cylindrical skirt are analyzed using classical laminate theory and elastic stability theory of thin shells. The Tsai-Wu failure criterion is employed to assess the first ply failure, and an overstressing load level factor is introduced to describe the failure strength. In addition, a buckling load factor is introduced to describe the buckling strength. Due to the critical issue of buckling strength, the effects of the design parameters on the buckling strength are investigated in this work. Finally, a practical design example of the proposed fiber-reinforced composite cylindrical skirt is investigated using the present analysis procedure. Results reveal that the fiber-reinforced composite cylindrical skirt laminated symmetrically with both cross-ply layers [0/90°] and angle-ply layers [+45/−45°] can sustain a great buckling load. Furthermore, the buckling strength of the skirt shell laminated with equal-hybrid between the angle-ply layers and the cross-ply layers is greater than that of the skirt shell laminated with over-weighted hybrid between the angle-ply layers and the cross-ply layers. Results provide a valuable reference for designers of aerospace vehicles.