Damage Tolerance of Stiffened Composite Panels with Cutouts

In this study, the effects of the cutout and the lay-up configuration on the buckling behavior and the damage tolerance of the stiffened carbon/epoxy panels manufactured by the resin transfer molding (RTM) are evaluated. The samples are manufactured using the RTM technique. The tensile test specimens are also prepared similarly to characterize the behavior of the material. Finite element analysis (FEA) of the panel samples is carried out and the comparisons are made among the results. The effects of the cutout and the lay-up configuration on the results are discussed.