Supersonic Flutter and Buckling Optimization of Tow-Steered Composite Plates

The supersonic aeroelastic stability of tow-steered carbon reinforced composite panels, in each layer of which the fibers follow curvilinear paths, is assessed. A structural model based on the Rayleigh–Ritz method, combined with the aerodynamic piston theory, is derived to represent the aeroelastic behavior of rectangular plates under different boundary conditions. In this model, the classical lamination theory, considering a symmetric stacking...