AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES ANALYSIS OF

AIRCRAFT
– II STRUCTURES

(AER18R372)
© Kalasalingam academy of research and education
 Syllabus
SHEAR FLOW IN OPEN SECTIONS
Unit 2
Definition and expression for shear flow due
SHEAR FLOW IN OPEN
to bending, shear flow in thin-walled Open SECTIONS
sections with and without stiffening
elements, torsion of thin-walled Open
sections, the shear center of symmetric and Outcomes
unsymmetrical open sections, structural On completion of this unit, Students can able to
idealization analyze the thin walled open section beams supporting
shear loads, bending loads and torsional loads.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Course Progress

Lesson 1. shear flow due to bending

Lesson 2. shear flow in thin-walled Open sections -

without stiffening elements
Lesson 3. shear flow in thin-walled Open sections - with
stiffening elements

Lesson 4. Torsion of thin-walled Open sections

Lesson 5. shear center of symmetric and unsymmetrical

open sections

Lesson 6. Structural idealization

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Lesson 4: Torsion of thin-walled Open sections
Topic 7: Expression for torsion of thin-walled Open sections

An approximate solution for the

torsion of a thin-walled open section
beam of a thin rectangular strip. If such
a strip is bent to form an open section
beam, as shown in figure.

Source: T. H. G. Megson, Aircraft Structures for Engineering

Students (Aerospace Engineering) 6th Edition, Kindle
Edition

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Expression for torsion of thin-walled Open sections

The distance “s” measured around the cross section is

large compared with its thickness “t”, then the contours of
the membrane (the lines of shear stress are still
approximately parallel to the inner and outer boundaries).

The shear lines in an element δs of the open section must

be nearly the same as those in an element δy of a rectangular

strip as shown in the figure.
© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)
 Derivation:

The shear lines in an element δs of the open

section must be nearly the same as those in
an element δy of a rectangular strip as shown
in the figure.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Derivation:

For the constant torsion used, and if the

cross section of variable thickness, the polar
moment of inertia “J” becomes,

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Derivation:

The rate of twist in terms of the applied

torque is,

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Derivation:

The shear stress distribution and the

maximum shear stress are sometimes more
conveniently expressed in terms of the
applied torque.

Substituting for dθ/dz in

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Derivation:

We assume in open beam torsion analysis that the cross

section is maintained by the system of closely spaced
diaphragms and that the beam is of uniform section.

The shear stresses vary across the thickness of the beam

wall, whereas other stresses, such as axial constraint
stresses are assumed constant across the thickness.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Torsion of thin-walled Open sections - Procedure

Problem:

The cold-formed section shown in figure, is

subjected to a torque of 50Nm. Calculate the
maximum shear stress in the section and its rate
of twist. G=25000N/mm2.

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Procedure – Torsion of thin walled open sections:

Step 1: Ensure the torque is constant, and measure the wall thickness in the
flanges and the webs
Step 2: Find the polar moment of inertia
Step 3: Find the rate of twist Answer:
 τmax = 220.6N/mm2
Step 4: Find the shear stress distribution
 dƟ/dz = 0.0044rad/mm
Step 5: Calculate the maximum shear stress, τmax

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Topic 7: Expression for
torsion of thin-walled Open
sections
The shear stress distribution
and the maximum shear stress
are expressed in terms of the
applied torque.
Fourth Lesson Summary

Torsion of thin-walled Open sections

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 References & External Resources

T. Click
H. toG. Megson,
edit Master text stylesAircraft Structures for ◦ Engineering
Fourth level Students (Aerospace
◦ Second level ◦ Fifth level
Engineering) 6th
◦ Third level
Edition, Kindle Edition

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Problems on

Roadmap Problems on shear center of

symmetric open sections
unsymmetrical open
Definition and
Problems on shear center of expression for
Structural
Structural idealization
of thin walled open
section
sections idealization
Problems on torsion of thin-
walled Open sections

Expression for torsion

Problems on Expression for
shear flow in thin-walled
of thin-walled Open
Open sections - with sections
stiffening elements Expression for shear flow in
thin-walled Open sections - with Problems on Expression for
stiffening elements shear flow in thin-walled
Open sections - without
stiffening elements

Definition and Expression for shear flow in thin-

expression for Problems on walled Open sections - without
shear flow due to shear flow due stiffening elements Lesson 1
bending to bending
Lesson 2

Lesson 3
Lesson 4

Lesson 5

Lesson
6

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)

 Thank You!

© Kalasalingam academy of research and education AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES – II (AER18R372)