Analysis of tapered laminated composite tubes under tension and torsion

Closed form expressions for determining the displacement and twisting angle of tapered composite tubes are developed. The analytical expressions are developed based on the modified laminated plate theory which includes the tubular wall curvature of the laminate. It is found that the axial deformation and the twisting angle calculated by the current method agree well with the results obtained from the finite element method.; The effect of stacking sequence, taper angle and fiber orientations on the axial deformation and twisting angle are studied by using the developed method. It is found that the taper angle plays a significant role on the axial deformation and the twisting angle provided the laminate lay-up is given.