Analysis and experimental evaluation framework for buckling and post-buckling of composite stiffened panels

The composite thin-walled stiffened panel exhibits considerable potential for post-buckling bearing capacity. However, due to the limitations in post-buckling analysis and experimental evaluation capabilities, local buckling under limited loads is not permissible for current aircraft composite panels, significantly diminishing the weight reduction effect of composite panels. In this paper, experimental research on composite fuselage curved panels under combined compression and shear loads was conducted with an experimental system. The buckling analysis and failure prediction of composite fuselage curved panels were performed by the finite element method, using the interlaminar failure criterion and an improved Tsai-Wu failure criterion. Meanwhile, interaction formulaes were utilized to predict buckling correlation curves and failure envelopes. The results show that the finite element model with improved criteria and the rapid analysis method based on interaction formulaes exhibit high accuracy, which are available for properties analysis of composite panels. The experimental techniques and analytical methods proposed in this paper can provide a way to evaluate the buckling and post-buckling performance of composite stiffened panels.