Flutter of delaminated cross-ply laminated cylindrical shells

In this study, the instability of delaminated cross-ply thin laminated cylindrical shells and panels when subjected to supersonic flow parallel to its length edge is investigated. The delamination is parallel to the shell reference and it extends along the entire length of the cylindrical shell. The Love’s shell theory and Von-Karman–Donnell type of kinematic relations along with first-order potential theory have been employed to construct the aeroelastic equations of motion. The effects of several parameters such as length to radius ratio, delamination position, size and thickness on the critical values are discussed in the details. The results indicate that the presence of delamination reduced the overall stiffness of the structure and thereby decreases the flutter critical boundaries.