• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.659-683
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• 2014

The static analysis of structures with arbitrary cross-section geometry and material lamination via a refined one-dimensional (1D) approach is presented in this paper. Higher-order 1D models with a variable order of expansion for the displacement field are developed on the basis of Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). Classical Euler-Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories are obtained as particular cases of the first-order model. Numerical results of displacement, strain and stress are provided by using the finite element method (FEM) along the longitudinal direction for different configurations in excellent agreement with three-dimensional (3D) finite element solutions. In particular, a layered thin-walled cylinder is considered as first assessment with a laminated conventional cross-section. An atherosclerotic plaque is introduced as a typical structure with arbitrary cross-section geometry and studied for both the homogeneous and nonhomogeneous material cases through the 1D variable kinematic models. The analyses highlight limitations of classical beam theories and the importance of higher-order terms in accurately detecting in-plane cross-section deformation without introducing additional numerical problems. Comparisons with 3D finite element solutions prove that 1D CUF provides remarkable three-dimensional accuracy in the analysis of even short and nonhomogeneous structures with arbitrary geometry through a significant reduction in computational cost.

• Advances in aircraft and spacecraft science
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.219-235
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• 2017

The large container ships and fast patrol boats are complex marine structures. Therefore, their global mechanical behaviour has long been modeled mostly by refined beam theories. Important issues of cross section warping and bending-torsion coupling have been addressed by introducing special functions in these theories with inherent assumptions and thus compromising their robustness. The 3D solid Finite Element (FE) models, on the other hand, are accurate enough but pose high computational cost. In this work, different marine vessel structures have been analysed using the well-known Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). According to CUF, the governing equations (and consequently the finite element arrays) are written in terms of fundamental nuclei that do not depend on the problem characteristics and the approximation order. Thus, refined models can be developed in an automatic manner. In the present work, a particular class of 1D CUF models that was initially devised for the analysis of aircraft structures has been employed for the analysis of marine structures. This class, which was called Component-Wise (CW), allows one to model complex 3D features, such as inclined hull walls, floors and girders in the form of components. Realistic ship geometries were used to demonstrate the efficacy of the CUF approach. With the same level of accuracy achieved, 1D CUF beam elements require far less number of Degrees of Freedom (DoFs) compared to a 3D solid FE solution.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.199-209
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• 2012

An advanced aeroelastic formulation for flutter analyses is presented in this paper. Refined 1D structural models were coupled with the doublet lattice method, and the g-method was used for flutter analyses. Structural models were developed in the framework of the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF). Higher-order 1D structural models were obtained by using Taylor-like expansions of the cross-section displacement field of the structure. The order (N) of the expansion was considered as a free parameter since it can be arbitrarily chosen as an input of the analysis. Convergence studies on the order of the structural model can be straightforwardly conducted in order to establish the proper 1D structural model for a given problem. Flutter analyses were conducted on several wing configurations and the results were compared to those from literature. Results show the enhanced capabilities of CUF 1D in dealing with the flutter analysis of typical wing structures with high accuracy and low computational costs.

• International Journal of Aeronautical and Space Sciences
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.206-222
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• 2015

This work uses different finite element approaches to the free vibration analysis of reinforced shell structures, and a simplified model of a typical launcher with two boosters is used as an example. The results obtained using a refined one-dimensional (1D) beam model are compared to those obtained with commercial finite element software. The 1D models that are used in the present work are based on the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF), which assumes a variable kinematic displacement field over the cross-sections of the beam. Two different sets of polynomials that correspond to Taylor (TE) or Lagrange (LE) expansions were used. The analyses focused on three reinforced structures: a stiffened panel, a reinforced cylinder and the complete structure of the launcher. The frequencies and natural modes obtained using one-dimensional models are compared to those obtained from classical finite element analysis. The classical FE models were built using a beam-shell or solid elements, and the results indicate that the refined beam models can in fact be used to investigate the behavior of very complex reinforced structures. These models can predict the shell-like modes that are typical of thin-walled structures that cannot be detected using classical beam models. The refined 1D models used in the present work provide results that are as accurate as those from solid FE models, but the 1D models have a much lower computational cost.

• Structural Engineering and Mechanics
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• v.84 no.3
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• pp.423-435
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• 2022

In this article, we present torsion-bending analysis of a composite FGM beam with an open section, according to the advanced and refined theory of 1D / 3D beams based on the 3D Saint-Venant's solution and taking into account the edge effects. The (initially one-dimensional) model contains a set of three-dimensional (3D) displacement modes of the cross section, reflecting its 3D mechanical behaviour. The modes are taken into account depending on the mechanical characteristics and the geometrical form of the cross-section of the composite FGM beam. The model considered is implemented on the CSB (Cross-Section and Beam Analysis) software package. It is based on the RBT/SV theory (Refined Beam Theory on Saint-Venant principle) of FGM beams. The mechanical and physical characteristics of the FGM beam continuously vary, depending on a power-law distribution, across the thickness of the beam. We compare the numerical results obtained by the three-beam theories, namely: The Classical Beam Theory of Saint-Venant (Classical Beam Theory CBT), the theory of refined beams (Refined Beam Theory RBT), and the theory of refined beams, using the higher (high) modes of distortion of the cross-section (Refined Beam Theory using distorted modes RBTd). The results obtained confirm a clear difference between those obtained by the three models at the level of the supports. Further from the support, the results of RBT and RBTd are of the same order, whereas those of CBT remains far from those of higher-order theories. The 3D stresses, strains and displacements, obtained by the present study, reflect the 3D behaviour of FGM beams well, despite the initially 1D nature of the problem. A validation example also shows a very good agreement of the proposed models with other models (classical or higher-order beam theory) and Carrera Unified Formulation 1D-beam model with Lagrange Expansion functions (CUF-LE).