Lecture 24(14).

Strength analysis of fuselages

Plan:
1. The structurally - power fuselage schemes.
2. Strength calculation of the fuselages cross-sections.
3. The semimonocoque fuselage cross-section calculation. Calculation from external
forces that operating in a vertical plane.
4. Calculation from external forces operating in a horizontal plane
5. The fuselage calculation at simultaneous horizontal and vertical tail loading.
6. Loading from an overpressure

1. The structurally - power fuselage schemes.

Now metal fuselages on a carrying capacity can be subdivided on two aspects: a semi-
monocoque and monocoque.
In the semi-monocoque fuselages for the moment of a structural failure is accepted
the moment of stability loss in compressed stringers under bending. With the purposes of
creation of a fuselage with a minimum mass the skin enough thin ( = 1.5 mm) is applied
and it works behind a stability limit from shear force and torque.
In a monocoque fuselages skin is the basic load-bearing element that operates on
bending and torsion and should work only in stability limits, because the loss of stability
under bending and torsion will cause a structural failure as a whole.

Fig. 1. The structurally - power fuselage schemes

Fuselages can have some baseline designs, which are shown on fig. 1., a,b,c.
The cross-sections are rather diverse: round, elliptical, rectangular etc. Recently for
large transport airplanes (airbuses) multideck fuselages are applied.

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 2. Strength calculation of the fuselages cross-sections.

Having the starting diagrams of external loads Q, Mb, t constructed on length of a

fuselage, it is possible to pass at the calculation of normal and shear stresses.
The analytical models of fuselage are identical to the wing analytical models and
theirs calculation methods are similar to wing calculation methods. At normal stresses
determination of longitudinal load-bearing elements from bending moment it is possible to
use one of two approximate computational methods: the computational method through
reduction factors with the usage of strain diagrams, or the computational method on a
carrying capacity without reduction factors (semigraphical computational method).
The shearing stresses from a shear force and torque are determined simply enough,
because the majority of fuselage cross-sections is represented by closed sections except the
airbus fuselages cross-sections.
Airbus fuselage cross-sections are closed sections. For determination of shearing
stresses from shear force and torque they should be considered as statically indeterminable
systems.

3. The semimonocoque fuselage cross-section calculation.

Calculation from external forces operating in a vertical plane.

Let us have a symmetrical semimonocoque fuselage cross-section, which longitudinal

power set consists of four spars, stringers and skin, and transversal power set from frames.
The skin of a fuselage works simultaneously on normal and shearing stresses from bending
and shear force.
The normal stresses from a bending moment for a case, when the skin does not lose
stability from shear stresses up to ultimate loads, can be computed by the known formula:
M bz N
i i (1)
Ir Fr
where Ir the reduced area's inertia moment, which is equal:
2
I r ( f str skin t skin ) i
where:
cr .skin
skin - is the reduced factor of skin in compressed zone; skin 1 - for
str
tension zone, cr .skin - is the critical stress of skin, str is the stress in stringer;
Fr ( f str skin t skin ) - is a reduced area of fuselage cross section; N is the axial
force.

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 If the skin early loses stability from shear force and torque, then normal stresses from
bending moment will be
b Nstr
skin,i yi y0 (2)
Ir Fstr
After loss of stability skin gives part of load to stringers. Axial effort in a stringer at
the result of stability loss of a skin
Nstr = (d - cr )h ctg (3)
where d is shear stress in skin from calculation without account loss of stability, cr
is the critical stress in skin.
Stringer load per unit of length at the result of loss of stability
htg
q y d cr . (4)
R
In calculation of a moment of inertia in the formulas (1), (2) it is necessary to use a
method of reduction factors.
In case of asymmetrical loading of a horizontal tail the fuselage will work
simultaneously on bending and torsion moments. Let's consider separately the calculation
from shear force and torque.
The shear effort per unit length or shear flow from shear force is in open contour:
Qu S k
qp (5)
Ir
For the determination of shear flow q0, which arises because of a circuit section, let us
make an equation of moments about axis, through which the external force passes Qu:
2 q0 q p rdS 0 (6)
where - is area of all cross section on mean line of skin.
For symmetrical cross-section the second member in an equation (6) will vanish, so
q0 = 0. (7)
The shear stresses in symmetrical sections are the same as and for an open circuit,
will be determined by the formula
Qu S c
(8)
I r sum
Moment of inertia of a cross-section Ir in the formulas (5) and (8) is selected pursuant
to that approximation, at which the normal stresses from the bending moment were
determined. It implies from an equilibrium condition between normal and shear stresses of
any cut out element.
The shear flow (SF) from a torque is determined simply enough:

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 Mt
q (9)
2 0
Shear force Qu in the formula (8) is substituted with allowance for fuselage conicity:
2Mz
Qu Q0 tg (10)
Hx
where Q0 - shear force (taken from diagrams); z the bending moment (taken
from diagrams); Hx height of the side panel between spars in cross section; - an angle
of spars inclination in relation to an axis; - thickness of a skin.

4. Calculation from external forces operating in a horizontal plane

Let's consider a cross-section of a tail part of a fuselage, on which the load is affixed
from a vertical tail.
A normal stress from bending moment is equal to:
M by
i z i z0 (11)
I ry
The shear flow from shear force is:
Quz S c
qp . (12)
I ry
For the determination of shear flow (SF) q0, accepting a section of a circuit in a point
1, let's write an equation of moments about OX axis:
2q0 0 q p rdS Y f H f 0
From here we have:
Y f H f q p rdS
q0 (13)
2 0
So the total shear flow (SF) in any point of cross section is:
qt = qQ q0

5. The fuselage analysis at simultaneous horizontal and vertical tail loading.

The fuselage calculation at simultaneous application of the forces on horizontal and

vertical tail is reduced to its calculation on oblique bending. This loading condition of a tail
unit for a fuselage can be calculated. Normal and the shear flow are determined by the
following formulas:

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 bz M
sum yi y0 by zi z0
I rz I ry
Quy S cz Quz S y
q sum q0 , (14)
I rz I ry
where q0 is the shear flow (SF), which arises at the result of closure of a cross-section circuit
from external loading effect of a vertical tail.

6. Loading from an overpressure

The hermetic fuselages can have volume from 1.5 2 cubic meters on single-seat
airplanes up to several hundreds cubic meters on transport airplanes, where they occupy a
majority of a fuselage.
The hermetic cabin is loaded by an overpressure, and if it's represented by a fuselage
bay, then besides by shear force, bending moment and torsion in cross-section as a part of a
fuselage. A ultimate value of an overpressure
=f
where producing pressure in a cabin; f - a safety factor.
The safety factor oscillates in rather broad limits. For transport airplanes it can reach
2.5, and on sites of a cabin, where there are strain concentrators by the way of excisions
under windows and doors, it is accepted sometimes equal 3.

. Fig. 2. Forms of hermetic cabin.

In case of a large overpressure in a cabin it is required, that in a skin, which is the

basic load-bearing element of a cabin, the stress concentration should be reduced to
minimum. This request implies from a condition of reliability of a construction operation

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during given service life. The most rational shape for a bay loaded by overpressure is
sphere or circular cylindrical shell with the spherical bottoms. The skin of a cabin of such
type appears uniformly loaded mainly by tensile strains. The shapes of substantial
pressurized cabins tend to approximate to optimal. However more often cabins enter in free
volumes retracted for them on conditions of arrangement and an airplane center-of-gravity
position. Therefore their shapes have, as a rule, more composite contours essentially
distinguished from optimal. In a fig. 2 as examples two schemes of pressurized cabins
close under the shapes to optimal (a) and with composite contour (b) are shown. In the last
scheme the end walls of a cabin for saving volumes of a fuselage are executed flat, side
walls curvilinear, with the shape of air passages of drives and external contours of a
fuselage cross-section. The walls of such cabin, alongside with tension and shearing, expose
to bending. Therefore longitudinal and transverse members of rigidity reinforce them, which
are usually necessary because of cabin loading as a part of a fuselage.
Cabin of a circular section is shown on fig. 2, a. In the cylindrical part of a cabin the
skin gets pulling stresses both in transversal, and in longitudinal sections from an
overpressure operation. These stresses are determined from an equilibrium condition by the
formulas from mechanic of materials:
pu R
X
2 , (15)
p R
r u
, (16)
where R, the radius of an envelope and the thickness of a skin.
The stresses x should be summarized with the any stresses from loads in a cabin In
especially unfavorable conditions the skin is at the cabin's upper dome, as in this site from
common a fuselage bending also arise mainly pulling stresses. The radial stresses r are
twice more than stresses x, therefore, as a rule, they determine hardness of a cabin skin.
Usually it is required, that for a construction from duralumin these stresses should do not
exceed 80 100 MPa. On transport airplanes the admissible level of radial stresses can be
even lower.
In the spherical bottom the stresses are determined by the formula (15). On a linking
site of a cylindrical part of a cabin with the bottom radial efforts qf arise. These efforts tend
to distort a cabin. To prevent flattening and to reduce a skin curving, in cross-section by the
junction the power frame is set.