PROBABILISTIC THIN SHELL STRUCTURAL DESIGN

This paper proposes an integrated design process for design and analysis of thin shell structures that are often used in spacecraft. The proposed integrated design process is able to: (1) identify the optimal structural design with minimum weight; (2) calculate the reliability of the identified optimal structural design; and (3) calculate the probability density functions of identified optimal structural design's weight and manufacturing cost. A FEBREL Preliminary Design (FEBREL/PD) code has been developed to simulate the integrated design process. Several design options including skinstringer-frame, waffle, and isogrid cylinders are available within FEBREL/PD. A thin shell cylinder with a skin-stringer- frame design is used to demonstrate the usefulness of this integrated design process.