Experimental Evaluation of Failure Load of Composite Conical Thin Shell Without Bulkhead

Composite shells of conical or cylindrical shape in aerospace vehicles experience various loads during operation. Conical composite shells form a part of the vehicle airframe or in propulsion system units like nozzle assembly. Estimation of failure load of conical thin shells without bulkhead is very challenging and requires unique test setup. A self-constrained test configuration has been established to determine experimentally the failure load of different composite conical thin shells. Design of test fixtures was carried out, and qualification of the test fixtures was completed before the actual tests. Four numbers of similar hardware were tested and found to have different failure loads. However, the mode of failure was found to be similar in all the four shells. Load transfer was successfully achieved on the shells even in the absence of bulkhead structures.