Optimal Design of Filament Wound Structures Based on the Semi-geodesic Path Algorithm

This research aims to establish an optimal design method of filament wound structures. Filament winding is one of the most reliable and affordable production techniques for high performance composite structures such as pressure tanks, pipes and motor cases of rockets which are widely used in the aerospace application. However, the problem with filament winding is that the trajectory of the fiber path and the corresponding fiber angles cannot be chosen freely because of the stability requirement of fiber path. Most design and manufacturing of filament wound structures are based on manufacturing experiences, and there is no established design rule. In this research, possible winding patterns considering the windability and the slippage between fiber and mandrel surface were calculated using the semi-geodesic path algorithm. In additiori, finite element analyses using commercial code, ABAQUS, were performed to predict the behavior of filament wound structures. On the basis of the semi-geodesic path algorithm and the verified finite element analysis method, an optimal design algorithm for filament wound structures was suggested using the genetic algorithm.