Analysis of Efficiency of Uniform-Strength Composite Leaf Springs under Various Loading Conditions

Abstract: To obtain analytical estimations of possible mass reduction, the simplest case of a cantilever rectangular beam loaded by a concentrated force or a distributed load is considered. Five geometrical parameters of designing are distinguished, which can be optimally defined from the five requirements: by strength, by possible accumulated elastic energy, by uniform strength, by connection of cross-sectional sizes, and by shearing force resistance owing to known strength at the interlaminar shear. The validity limits are determined, outside of which the linear beam theory leads to incorrect results for deflection of uniform-strength beams when loaded with distributed forces. The analytical dependences of reducing the desired mass of uniform-strength beams on the behavior of applied forces are the following: the more nonuniformly the applied load changes, the greater the advantage by mass ensures uniform-strength profiling under the given conditions by the strength and accumulated elastic energy.