The Prediction Of Failure Load For An Unsymmetrically Stiffened Circular Composite Spar

The circular composite tubes have been used as a main spar of HALE-UAV(High Altitude Long Endurance-Unmanned Air Vehicle). In this paper, an analytical model is presented for the prediction of the failure load of unsymmetrically stiffened circular spar using a modified Brazier approach. This model was used to predict the moment carrying capacity of the unsymmetrically stiffened circular spar. From the results, we can know that a stiffened cap placed in the top sector of a spar increased the bending capabilities. Four point bending tests were conducted to estimate the effect of the cap on the failure load and compared with the proposed model. And numerical simulations were performed to analyze the behavior of stiffened circular spar. Comparisons of the results from the proposed model with those from experiments and numerical modes show good correlation.