Thermal flutter characteristics of laminated composite panels

Using finite element method for panel flutter analysis, the impact of laminates layup orientation and sequence on the flutter characteristics of composite laminated panels were investigated by examining the parameters of normalized bending stiffness, critical buckling temperature elevation, critical flutter dynamic pressure and limit cycle flutter amplitude of the panel. The thermal flutter characteristics of some typical composite laminated panels were presented. The results show that, in general, the normalized panel bending stiffness can be used as an index for qualitative comparison of flutter properties in the design of laminates layup orientation and sequence of composite laminated panels. In some special cases, in which the transition of flutter modes may be induced along with the temperature elevation, the flutter of the panel with larger normalized bending stiffness may occur at lower dynamic pressure.