Optimal Design of a Multiperforated Composite Plate

Abstract

Multiperforated composite structures are used in some detectors for transition radiation tracking. These structures exhibit a shear coupling because of the inclined lines of holes in which sensors are fixed. This shear coupling may cause the buckling of the structure or may reduce the accuracy of the measurement provided by the sensors. The objective of this work is to propose a design procedure which eliminates this parasitic effect by designing a suitable stacking sequence. The procedure is carried out within the framework of the classical lamination theory assuming that the network of holes behaves like a virtual ply, the properties of which are determined with finite element calculations and a homogenization. However, the mechanical response of this virtual ply depends on the mechanical properties of the constitutive material too. The design procedure is therefore iterative, the properties of this virtual ply being updated at each step. The design procedure is described and some examples illustrate the relevance and the efficiency of the approach.