Optimal design of compression corrugated panels

Compression panels comprised of a corrugated core bonded to either one or two face sheets are optimally designed for minimum weight. Results obtained from two optimization procedures are compared: naïve optimization where simultaneous occurrence of failure modes is assumed, and sequential quadratic programming (SQP) based optimization. A total of eight different panel geometries are considered, including hat- and blade-stiffened panels, and square, triangular and trapezoidal cores. From a weight standpoint, panels with hat-stiffeners are found to be the most efficient for the given boundary conditions, about 40% lighter at some load levels than the least efficient-sandwich panels with a square core.