Analysis Through Constructal Design of the Influence of Spacing Between Stiffeners in the Deflection of Plates

Abstract

Using the Finite Element Method (FEM), stiffened plates arrangements defined by the application of the Constructal Design Method (CDM) were analyzed. So that, through an Exhaustive Search (ES), different spacing between the stiffeners were tested regarding the central and maximum deflections. Starting from a non-stiffened plate with a fixed volume, a portion of its material was completely removed from its thickness and transformed into stiffeners considering the volumetric fraction 𝜙 = 0.5. It were established 4 arrangements: P(2,2), P(2,3), P(3,2) and P(3,3), varying for each one, the spacing between the stiffeners, as well as the parameter hs/ts (ratio between height and thickness of stiffeners). The results showed that stiffeners equally spaced in the longitudinal and transverse directions with higher ratios hs/ts are more effective, being able to reduce the central and maximum deflections by more than 95% compared to the non-stiffened reference plate.