Effects of unsteady aerodynamic pressure load on the interlaminar stressesof laminated composite strips

The effects on the interlaminar stresses of an unsteady aerodynamic loading on a laminated composite strip are studied. A stress-function-based variat ional approach and the finite difference method are used to determine the i nterlaminar stresses in a multilayered strip subjected to arbitrary combina tions of axial extension, bending and the unsteady aerodynamic loading of s upersonic fluid flow over the upper surface of laminated composite strips. Symmetric four-layer, cross-ply and angle-ply laminates are considered in d etail. Some numerical solutions by using a personal computer are obtained. The present results show that the unsteady aerodynamic loading has signific ant effects on the interlaminar stresses near the free-edge regions. (C) 20 01 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.