Master Thesis - Sizing of stiffeners for compression loaded panels

At Saab, we constantly look ahead and push boundaries for what is considered technically possible. We collaborate with colleagues around the world who all share our challenge – to make the world a safer place.

What you will be a part of
Aeronautics, a business area of Saab, offers advanced airborne systems, related subsystems, unmanned aerial systems, aerostructures and services to defence customers and commercial aerospace industries worldwide. Aeronautics is also responsible for development, production, marketing, selling and supporting of the Gripen fighter.
The group "Methodology, Tools and Data - Stress engineering" is a part of the department Aircraft Development within business area Aeronautics. The main responsibilities of the section is development and maintenance of 

methodology and program tools used for stress engineering work
material data for stress engineering work
methodology for manufacturing simulation of composite structures

We are working with both metallic and composite material.
Our customers within Saab are the stress engineers working in the Aircraft projects, for example the Gripen. We are also frequently participating in national and international research and development projects.
Now we want to start a Master Thesis work "Sizing of stiffeners for compression loaded panels".



Your role
An aircraft structure consists of several panels that can fail due to buckling. At sizing of panel structure against buckling, each individual panel is calculated separately by assuming a simply supported boundary condition around the edges. However, in reality the boundary conditions of the panels are rarely simply supported. Instead they are somewhere between free and clamped depending on the properties of the stiffeners surrounding the panels. Therefore, it is important to also consider the stiffeners’ ability to act as panel breakers and provide a simple support to the panel to avoid global buckling of the entire structures.
There is a need to further develop the methods for sizing the stiffeners as panel breakers for more complex panel structures. A previous study has been performed where a method was developed for panels loaded in shear, but an investigation of panel breakers in compression remains to be performed.
The purpose of this master thesis is to increase the knowledge of sizing panel breakers in compression loaded structures. This will be done by studies using FEM. 
The master thesis work consists of e.g.:

Learning FE-tools
Literature study
Perform tests of the old method using FEM
Perform FE-study and parameter study to identify method for dimensioning panel breakers
Development of method and documentation

Your skills and experience
You are a last year Master of Science student. You should also have taken classes in solid mechanics and FEM.

About Saab
Saab is a global defence and security company operating in the fields of air,land and naval defence, civil security and commercial aeronautics. We number 14,700 employees and have operations on all continents. Technologically we are leaders in many areas, and one-fifth of our earnings are spent on research and development. Saab is also a company with opportunities. A company where we see diversity as an asset and where you have both considerable responsibility and good opportunities for advancing in your career. But also a company that respects each person’s needs for a rewarding life beyond work.