Design and strength analysis of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composite shelter

In this study, glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composite (GFRP) plates were applied on the carriage panel skins of the shelter, which substituted the original aluminum plates. The main research objective is to prove that the application of GFRP plate on the shelter can effectively reduce the vehicle equipment quality and enhance the shelter structural strength on one hand, on the other hand is to find the impacts of fiber orientation sequence and fiber thickness to the GFRP shelter strength and stiffness. During the research, the structural strength of four kinds of aluminum shelters was studied in order to choose the optimal geometric model for lateral GFRP shelter design and analysis, which was further investigated using finite element method under the given loading scenario. Finally, the computer simulations demonstrated that +/- 45 degrees and 0 degrees are more suitable for the laminate design, and +/- 45 degrees should be put outside of the laminate. With the thickness of glass fiber decrease, more +/- 45 degrees means higher strength of the laminate. To a certain degree, more 0 degrees, 90 degrees and +/- 45 degrees can make better stiffness. Besides, the quality of GFRP shelter has reduced 14.59% with using the lightweight material. Therefore, this research provides a reliable guidance for the production and design of GFRP shelter.