Predictive analysis of stitched aerospace structures for advanced aircraft

In recent years, the aviation industry has taken a leading role in the integration of composite structures in an effort to develop lighter and more fuel efficient aircraft. Among the leading concepts to achieve this goal is the Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS) concept. The focus of most PRSEUS studies has been on developing a HWB structure, with only a few discussing the application of PRSEUS to a tube-wing fuselage structure. Additionally, the majority of investigations for PRSEUS have focused on experimental validation of anticipated benefits rather than developing a methodology to capture the behavior of stitched structure analytically. The current work presents an overview of a numerical methodology that accurately represents PRSEUS construction and how it would be implemented for a barrel fuselage by using a high-fidelity mesoscale approach. The methodology presented herein is a way to significantly improve the way stitched composites are typically analyzed and allows new insight and understanding of stitched aerospace structures.