Theoretical model and numerical analysis of thermal effects on bistable characteristics of antisymmetrical composite cylindrical shells
                                    ZHANG Huanqing, CHAI Guozhong, ZHANG Zheng, WU Huaping
            (Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education & Zhejiang Province,Zhejiang University of Technology ,Hangzhou 310014, China)

Abstract: Aiming at the problem of the deformation of antisymmetrical composite cylindrical shells under high temperature and obtaining the antisymmetric bistable cylindrical shells with less thermal influence, bistable characteristics of antisymmetrical cylindrical shells with different composite materials (Carbon/Epoxy, Carbon/PMR15 and T300/5028 GraphiteEpoxy) under constant, uniform or grading temperature field were studied. A corresponding theoretical model was established by using the classical laminated plate theory and the minimum potential energy principle. The finite element method was employed here to predict the influence of different temperature field on twisting curvature kxy, the second stable state curvature kx2 and snap load F. The results indicate that all temperature fields have nonnegligible effects on kx2 and uniform temperature field makes a remarkable influence on kxy. The tendency of twisting curvature kxy change under temperature field of Carbon/Epoxy and Carbon/PMR15 shell is very similar, but T300/5028 GraphiteEpoxy shell shows the opposite tendency. In addition, its kx2 and F are bigger than that of former two material shells.

Key words: antisymmetrical composite cylindrical shells; temperature field; Carbon/Epoxy; Carbon/ PMR15; T300/5028 GraphiteEpoxy