Hi Dean,
I've come across another quirky aspect of Composite Design that
probably only relates to Wing Geometry / Spar Design but I'm sure it makes
a difference in the Lay-up calculations, specifically in the Weight and
Height of an "I Beam" Spar. Here's my dilemma....
With the current I-Beam geometry, the thickness of the 2 Horiz. and 1
Vert. plane of the I-Beam are based on the Laminate thickness specified in
the Laminate Tab. They are uniform over the entire beam cross section. This
can be problematic when designing a very small Spar...example: approx.4mm
in height, 8mm Horiz. width and .5mm thick. Because the current I-Beam
Geometry carries the .5mm thickness over the entire "I" cross section, I
have to reduce the height of the Vert. section by 1mm so it will fit into a
Rotor/Wing section. By reducing the Vert. height I am unable to calculate a
"True" Max. Deflection value.
Ideally, being able to adjust the thickness of the Horiz. planes of the
I-Beam would enable me to calculate a more precise Spar using the correct
height. A typical Spar Lay-up for me would be so: ]!!!![ (single woven CF
layers L&R with 4 or 5 layers UD in the middle). The Horiz. planes of the
I-Beam would typically be from .06mm to .1mm thick.
The 1mm may not sound like much in the grand scheme of things but it
can make a huge difference in a small high load Spar/Wing Structure as it
can equate to 200+mm³ of Laminate along the Spar.
I don't know if it's possible to change the I-Beam Geometry or
not...It's just another thing that would make us "Aircraft" guy's lives a
little easier...