Pulse pressure loading of aircraft structural panels

The main aim of the work reported in this paper was to assess the reponse of panels representative of aircraft structures, to pulse pressure loading by means of experimental and finite element (FE) techniques. A series of experiments were conducted to compare the responses and failure modes of stiffened, aluminium alloy panels, joined using conventional riveting techniques and laser welding. The failure pressures of the riveted panels ranged from 29 to 36 kPa and a number of principal modes of failure were identified, namely (1) rivet shear/tensile failure, (2) frame buckling, (3) stringer buckling and (4) frame rupture. In the case of the laser-welded panels, failure pressures were between 28 and 33 kPa and failure was dominated by significant tearing along the weld heat affected zone at the frame–skin interface. The FE models correctly modelled most of the principal modes of failure observed experimentally and central panel displacement was also predicted well up until the time at which failure initiated.