The Boeing Company

Michael Andrew Epton

Adriana Willempje Blom

Laura Sumi Kang

Mostafa Rassaian

Vladimir Balabanov

Olaf Weckner

Evin J Cramer

A method and apparatus for ply blending. A desired thickness and a desired stiffness distribution for a composite structure are received. A model of the composite structure is split into a plurality of panels. Lamination parameters and a quantity of plies for each panel of the plurality of panels are determined using the desired thickness and the desired stiffness distribution for the composite structure. Ply shapes for each ply of the plurality of panels are determined using an objective function. A fiber angle is determined for each ply of the plurality of panels. Each ply of a first half of a panel of the plurality of panels has a different fiber angle value than each other ply of the first half of the panel.

Ply blending and stacking sequence

A composite laminate is presented. The composite laminate comprises a plurality of plies having non-traditional angles. Each of the plurality of plies has a respective shape configured to minimize a total length of the ply boundary over all of the plurality of plies. The composite laminate has a stiffness equal to a desired stiffness of a traditional composite laminate.

A design process that uses lamination parameter inversion to generate a set of baseline layups having desired stiffness properties. Then the underdetermined Newton's method can be applied to explore solution manifolds describing alternative designs having similar if not identical stiffness properties. The manifold of solutions can be methodically examined to find those with desirable properties. Desirable properties include those that have been traditionally captured by design rules or those that improve manufacturability. Combining lamination parameters as design variables with lamination parameter inversion provides an efficient optimization process for non-traditional laminates.

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Seattle, WA, United States of America

Michael Andrew Epton