Thermal buckling analysis and optimization of VAT structures via layer-wise models

The present study investigates the combination of different manufacturing parameters, such as the curvature radius of the single fiber along its path on a symmetric stacking sequence of the Variable Angle Tows composite (VAT). Moreover, the study objective is to individuate the VAT configuration to maximize the critical thermal buckling load of a thermal-loaded composite square plate. Numerical simulations are performed in the Carrera Unified Formulation (CUF) framework, which allows for a high-order two-dimensional (2D) theory based on the Finite Element Method (FEM), enabling the Layer Wise (LW) discretization of the model. The linearized buckling problem is involved in the formulation, and the resolution of the eigenvalue problem leads to finding the thermal buckling critical temperature.