Aircraft Structural Analysis

Chapter 5
Load Transfer in Stiffened Panel Structures
 5.1 INTRODUCTION

Point loads acting on idealized wing and fuselage structures

cannot be applied directly to the shear panels, which are
capable of supporting only pure shear exerted in their plane,
along and in the direction of their boundaries. In section 2.5, we
studied planar assemblies of rods and shear webs. In that type
of structure,
structure the rods act as stiffeners to which direct loads are
applied and by means of which the loads are diffused to the
shear panels. For wing and fuselage structure, the analogous
stiffening members are the rib and frame
frame, respectively
respectively.

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 5.1 INTRODUCTION
Cantilevered thin-walled cylinder with point load P
The load P can not be applied directly to the fragile skin,
so a “hard point” must be provided.

The formula for shear flow distribution is,

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5.1 INTRODUCTION

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 5.1 INTRODUCTION

Force intensity

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Consider a transverse shear ((a rib or a fuselage

g frame or bulkhead))
together with the attached skin. Let loads be applied to the stiffener, in
its plane, as illustrated in Figure 5.2.1
The difference in the section shear loads on each side of the stiffener
is due to the load applied directly to the stiffener

The subscript ‘-’ and ‘+’ represent

th positions
the iti just
ju t ffore and
d aft
ft off
the stiffener, respectively

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Difference between the shear flows

fore and aft of the stiffener

The shear flow which acts at on the

skin along the stiffener-skin interface,
where the skin is bonded to the frame

and are obtained from Eq 4.7.3

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

For idealized beams,, for which,, in walls jjoining

g longitudinal
g stiffeners,,
the shear flow is constant, Eq 4.8.2 and Eq 4.8.3 -for computing
section shear flows-take the following form for calculating the bond
line shear flow:
Eq. 4.8.2

E 4.8.3
Eq. 483

where

-> The jump in the frange load gradient across a stiffener

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

The procedure for calculating the shear flow around a transverse stiffener.
• Remove the frame from the skinskin-stringer
stringer structure
structure.
• Transfer the frame loads to the skin-stringer structure,
• Calculate statically equivalent shear flow distribution around the periphery.
• Reverse
R th
the computedt d shear
h fl
flow di
directions
ti tto show
h th
them acting
ti on th
the
frame.

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Example
p 5.2.1
Verify Equation 5.1.1 for the ring stiffener in Figure 5.1.1 There are no
longitudinal stiffeners; the skin is effective in both shear and bending.
Assume the thickness t of the skin is very small compared to the radius rr.

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

The area moment of inertia about the z axis is,

[a]

By symmetry,

Thus, [b]

The moment of the area of an arc of the circle, starting at O and

subtended by the angle Ф, is

[c]

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Substituting Eq [c] into [b],

[d]

The resultant moment of this shear flow about G is zero

, so that eq [d] becomes

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Consider the more complex p situation illustrated in Figure

g 5.2.5 in
which there are five stiffeners, A through E. The stiffener at D is
loaded precisely as the one in Figure 5.1.1, so its peripheral shear
flow distribution will be identical. By the same token, in spite of the
fact that loads are applied to the structure on either side of the
stiffener at C, since C itself has no concentrated load, the shear
flow around its perimeter is zero.

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Example 5.2.2
Consider the cantilever box beam of square cross section illustrated in
Figure 5.2.6. Point loads are applied to the frames at sections A,B,C,
and D, as shown. Calculate (a) the panel shear flows in each of the two
bays adjacent to section C, and (b) the shear flow around the perimeter
of frame C

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

(a)

[a]

Between section B and C

[b]

[C]

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Between C and D

[d]

S b tit ti
Substituting equations
ti [[c]
] and
d [d]
[d],

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW
(b)

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW
Example 5.2.3
Figure 5
5.2.13
2 13 shows a 100 inin. diameter circular fuselage frame with a
1000lb Vertical load applied to the floor beam. The 24 equally spaced
stringers all have the same 0.2 in. area. Calculate the shear flow distri
bution around the frame.
-bution

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Remove the frame and numbering the stringers.

Since the moment of the shear flows equals the moment of the vertical
1000lb load,

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Shear flows exerted by the frame Shear flows exerted by the skin
on the skin on the frame

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW
Example 5.2.4
A concentrated load of 5000lb is applied
pp to the wingg rib in Figure
g 5.2.17 at
the point where the left most vertical stiffener ef joins the bottom rib flange.
The area of the front and rear spar caps (6,7,1, and 12) is 0.3 in. . and the
area of the eight numbered stringers is 0.1 in. Calculate the average shear
flow in each of the four rib webs and the axial loads in the rib flanges at the
location just to the right of the vertical stiffeners ef, cd, and ab. (The rib is
bonded to the front and rear spar webs and to the wing skin along the rib
flanges, whereas the spanwise stringers are bonded to the wing skin.))

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 5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

Rib is removed and replaced by the shear flows acting around the bond
line between the rib and the wing skin and spar webs.

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5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

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5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

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5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

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5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

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5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

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5.2 RIB AND BULKHEAD SHEAR FLOW

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 5.3 SHARE FLOW AROUND CUTOUTS

What effect do the cutouts have on the shear flow distribution?

Assumtion : The effect of the windows on the shear flow pattern does
not extend more than one shear panel beyond the top and bottom of
the cutouts
cutouts.

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5.3 SHARE FLOW AROUND CUTOUTS

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 5.3 SHARE FLOW AROUND CUTOUTS

For the free-body diagram in Figure 5.3.2a, the equilibrium of forces in

the horizontal direction requires that

From part (b) of the figure, we deduce similarly that

Finally, summing forces in the vertical direction in Figure 5.3.2c yields

The solution of these three equations for q1, q2, q3 is

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 5.3 SHARE FLOW AROUND CUTOUTS

Example 5.3.1
The flat
flat, stiffened
stiffened, panel structure in Figure 5
5.3.3a
3 3a is loaded by a uniform
q
shear flow 0 = 50 KN / m on its boundary, as shown. (a) Calculate the in-
dependent shear flows q1 and q2 . (b) Find the location and value of the
maximum load within the stiffeners
stiffeners.

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5.3 SHARE FLOW AROUND CUTOUTS

Maximum axial load occurs in the stiffeners adjacent to

the hole, at its corners.
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 5.4 BOX BEAM CUTOUTS

We can determine the effect of a cutout on an idealized wing

g
box or fuselage structure

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 5.4 BOX BEAM CUTOUTS

The net force on the stringer

By symmetry,

The axial load’s maximum value P

occurs at each end of the center bay.

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5.4 BOX BEAM CUTOUTS

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 5.4 BOX BEAM CUTOUTS
Example 5.4.1
Calculate the shear flows in the spar webs and cover skins of the idealized
wing box shown in Figure 5.4.7. The geometric properties of the constant
cross section are listed. The uniformly distributed airloads (15 lb/in, left,
3 lb/in, drag) on the wing have been lumped at the ribs, which are spaced
20 inches apart.

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 5.4 BOX BEAM CUTOUTS
Analyze the structure as thought there were no cutout,using Beam
theory and methods of Chapter 4 4.

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5.4 BOX BEAM CUTOUTS

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5.4 BOX BEAM CUTOUTS

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